


Bouquet ala Miko

by ECCougar



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Blood Kink, F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:42:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 48,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25294882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ECCougar/pseuds/ECCougar
Summary: Its hard enough when one can explain the smell and experiences it, but the other can't. Like trying to describe color to someone blind, there was always a disconnect that one side can't completely understand. Scent for the demon kind was not just a smell: It was an experience. A delicious, suckle-worthy experience.Rated for Mature situations, suggestions, and eventually straight lemon juice.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 43
Kudos: 332





	1. You Might Stink

It wasn't every month Kagome felt like complete crap, but this month was worse than others. She knew what she smelled like without the additional copper of blood... But she knew as time had gone on it wasn't a scent that Inuyasha liked to flaunt out in the woods. While tampons were great to staunch bloodflow, she hated shoving that nastiness up her lady bits. The only problem with not using them meant the scent was that much stronger and she tended to be a beacon of temptation to carnivorous demons. Some demons liked spicy food - and pure miko menstrual blood was about as good as it got. She didn't understand really until Sango explained it, which was necessary after about the millionth time she'd been kidnapped. So until she was back home, tampons it was. The unfortunate thing while traveling though, was changing out in a timely manner. And not every... Cycle... was the same. Some were light and breezy, and others were disgusting and bloody long.

This one?

Bloody long. And she didn't have the luxury of home's bathroom to change out in. They were at last ten miles from home, and by the time they reached the well, the worst of the cycle would be over. There was no retreat this time. Kagome sighed and tried to relax the clench in her thighs as they moved on. Not only did she hate tampons, she hated pants. Her skirt was always more breathable, but periods meant pants for convenience. It only took one cycle where she bled down her thigh to decide on that one. They were headed out of a village into the forest once more on the edge of a swamp. Kagome could feel her lower half clench angrily, and she suppressed the urge to cry out.

"Hey Sango - hey!" She called out to her friend, who lead the pack with Inuyasha. Sango turned and paused, concern threading her face when she saw the pained look on Kagome's face. "Hey... I know we're trying to make good time, but I need a break. Please, I just need to change out." She pleaded. Sango nodded sympathetically and went to the guys to insist they search for a spot to camp off the beaten path. Once they found an agreeable spot near a small creak, Sango asked Kagome if she needed a lookout for her sponge bath.

"I'll be fine. If you want you can follow me to the edge, but I brought the other things so I'm not so.. ick." Sango nodded.

"Don't forget to bury the blood as deep as you can next to the bank. It'll temper the scent and make it less likely to attract demons." Kagome nodded and trudged through the brush toward the creek, Sango not far behind her looking out. Shoving cat tails and tall grass aside, she found a small clear spot at the edge of the creek. She dug a small, deep trench and grabbed a new tampon before pulling her pants down and changing out the old tampon for a new one. She wetted a thick paper towel in the cleanest water and made sure there was nothing left before she put the used tampon in the hole along with the used napkin and burying it deep. Once finished, she quickly returned from the creek and made for the campfire. "Thanks again Sango. You have no idea how much I appreciate it." Kagome reiterated. "Its always nice to have another girl who gets it." Sango nodded and smiled before returning to the small cooking pot on the fire, stirring broth for the vegetables she had set aside for dinner

~*~

Sesshoumaru had scented pure priestess blood before. It wasn't as though it was a new scent to him, as travelling the country side meant a myriad of experiences (and scents) to be had. He had been travelling a well hidden backroad with his vassal, ward, and her mount when he'd stumbled upon the scent. Jaken's frog nose scrunched, as he could smell it too. Sesshoumaru had be following the scent unwittingly, and realized much to late where they were. Clearly they were just about to stumble upon -

"FUCK?!"

And there he was.

Sesshoumaru had been so obliviously lost in one scent he failed to identify the white and red streak coming up the road behind them. Ah-Un roared as Inuyasha collided with him, attempting to keep little Rin in the saddle by curling in on himself so she wouldn't be injured. She squealed in fright as Inuyasha flew into the brush where barberry bushes grew with a loud crash and more crass language. Moments later the miko and houshi of the group Inuyasha frequented with came running from the opposite direction, concern on their faces.

"We heard a loud crash! I everyone okay?" The priestess called. She glanced around and saw Ah-Un struggling back to his feet with Rin still clinging to his saddle, sobbing all the while. Not a moment was wasted as she ran to the little girl, cooing and assuaging her crying. He approved of her mothering - but he did not approve of her coddling.

"Rin is fine. This one strongly suggests you attend to the hanyou. For some reason he thought it appropriate to play in the barberry." He said coolly. At first the Priestess seemed confused, her brow furrowed and then she heard the brush crashing and the hanyou swearing. It dawned on her in an almost humorous fashion and she gave Rin one last reassurance before running for the embankment. Then he realized something - the priestess was wearing pants instead of the unusual scrap of fabric that covered next to nothing of her legs. It struck him as odd, but he dismissed the thought. The priestess's choice of garb was none of his concern. He watched in mild amusement as she helped escort the hanyou out of the embankment, arms all akimbo as he struggled forward. Humorously enough, the priestess was picking the berries off the bush to help with the multiple scratches that were all over his hands, feet and face. Inuyasha shook the priestess off and told her to, as he put it, 'fuck off' as he stumbled back toward the road with a couple of dead mountain hare in his hand. The priestess approached and bowed gently. "I'm so sorry Sesshoumaru, he must have been trying to beat us back with the meat for stew." She faltered before going on.

"If your traveling party would like to join us, I'm sure we could spare some of the stew we made for supper." He glanced over to the girl, who had slipped down from Ah-Un's saddle and was snuffling, chewing on her index fingernail. She had been looking a touch thin, paler than usual.

"Hn."

The priestess' face puckered. He could see the wheels turning in her head trying to determine his answer for a brief moment before shaking her head and kneeling down next to Rin.

"What do you think, little Rin?" She asked sweetly. "Would you like to eat some stew?" Rin glanced up at him, with a small smile and nodded happily.

"Yes please Miss Kagome!" she answered, a small snuffle escaping her. The little girl bowed to him before taking the priestess' hand and walking off with her, talking animatedly as they walked back in the direction they came. While he was minutely charmed as he waited for the group to walk ahead of him, he was struck once again by that scent that kept hitting him. He huffed through his nose in a vain attempt to rid himself of her scent and continued after them.

~*~

Kagome walked hand in hand with Sesshoumaru's young ward who was chatting happily about wildflowers and the magnificence of her Lord and Savior, and which daisy chains he preferred. Her happiness was delightfully infections, and she couldn't help but snicker occasionally when she would start to say something about the Taiyoukai and stop to check that whatever she was saying was alright with the demon lord. Somehow, someway the little girl knew what was an affirmative and what was negative, and it just fascinated her. Caring for others always took her mind off of what she was going through, especially during her period. As Rin entered the camp, Shippou greeted her with enthusiasm and took her over to show her his new set of crayons and coloring book. Ah-Un had decided to settle closer to the fire where the small cooking pot was boiling with vegetables, and Jaken had settled with Sesshoumaru on the farther outskirts of their camp.

"I see your brought some guests for dinner." Sango said cheerfully from her spot beside the fire where she was dressing the hares to be spit roasted. "With three of these little guys we should be just fine." Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, apparently Inuyasha nearly knocked poor Rin for a loop on his way back. Hard to believe neither of those two could smell one another before running the other off of the road." Both girls shared a laugh.

"So how are you feeling now Kagome?" Sango asked. Kagome shrugged.

"Not great, but it could be a lot worse. The cramping died down with some of the medicines I brought from home." She sighed hard. "I don't know what I'd do without modern medicine. Kaede's weird tasting brews just arent the same." Sango hummed her agreement.

"Hey! Is dinner almost on?" Inuyasha called. "I'm starving!" Kagome looked at him flatly.

"The rabbits need to roast first. Don't eat raw meat! Its bad for you!"

"Yeah yeah yeah, you and your weird magical all knowing crap. With all that shit you know you should know how to get rid of that wicked stink you get every month." Kagome grabbed the nearest and largest rock she could find from the ground and threw it at his head.

"Quit being gross! And I can't help it. Its part of life." She snapped, blushing hotly. She glanced over at Sango. "Seriously, though. Why does everyone say I smell so bad at this time? We both have our monthly stuff right?" Sango nodded and her brow scrunched. She opened her mouth then closed it briefly before trying again.

"Maybe... Maybe it isn't a bad smell so much as its just a stronger smell based on what you do." She reasoned. Kagome frowned and she digressed. "So I'm a demon slayer right? I've been taught to conceal my scent my entire life, so during my cycle I've learned different coping methods to hide the smell so I can avoid attracting unwarranted attention." Kagome sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense I guess." "Maybe I should go about teaching you some of the tricks my slaying sisters taught me." Kagome nodded.

"That would probably be a good idea. Maybe we should go visit Kaede too. This really has become a weird problem. First Inuyasha started complaining, then Kouga started commenting. I've been captured so many stupid times during my monthly I'm sick of it." Kagome gazed into the far off nothing for a long few moments, not realizing her eyes had landed on Sesshoumaru. When she focused on him she noticed he'd leaned against small stick of a tree. His eyes were closed and if it weren't for her careful study of his face, she'd never have noticed his nostrils flaring. She chewed on her lip in contemplation as she watched his nostril briefly twitch, and at one point a near snarl curled for the tiniest of moments before he became placid and serene again. She wondered if he could smell it too. She blushed hotly and fisted her hands in front of her mouth trying not to think too hard on it. Surely she smelled abhorrent to just about everyone that had that sensitive nose.

~*~

Dinner had been served to his ward and she supped happily with the group. He was pleased at her happy little tunes as she ate and giggled with the fox kit. He'd been offered a leg of hare and he'd declined, translated by his ward who knew what he meant. It seemed his brother's group had trouble reading him. All the better. Before dinner he'd caught a whiff of the priestess, called Kagome. She was wearing a pair of dark blue cotton pants with a draw string and some kind of clingy covering on her torso. The scent coming off her was not unappealing; in fact it was intoxicating and hard not to want to soak in. There was an undercurrent of complete disgust with himself for briefly inhaling deeper. He'd been in the process of meditation when he'd smelled a sudden flare of that delicious purified blood coupled with a wave of embarrassment.

It was then he'd opened his eyes a touch and looked at the miko. Her face had flushed and she was hiding her expression behind two fists. Clearly something was bothering the priestess; she'd been driven to distraction all day. Now as he sat waiting for Rin to finish her meal before leaving the campsite, he wondered if the priestess knew that she was a beacon of promise in so many ways. Perhaps he should warn her. She smelled like ruttable food, something you could bite and breed at the same time. There were some days he had trouble discerning whether his beast needed to feed on some days, or fuck. Occasionally the chase felt vaguely the same, especially with any particularly spirited female. Sesshoumaru snorted quietly in decision.

He'd inform the miko before they left for the evening.

~*~

Kagome excused herself from the fellowship around the campfire, letting Sango know she was headed for her evening changeout quietly. "I'll be right back everyone - just going to freshen up by the creek." She grabbed the little blue zipped bag with tampons in it and moved to leave.

"This one shall accompany you, priestess." Sesshoumaru announced, breaking his reticence unexpectedly. All heads turned toward her and Sesshoumaru, who was now towering over her. Inuyasha stood in protest.

"If you think she needs a body guard, she doesn't you gaping asshole." He snarled, moving forward to put a body between her and the silvery haired demon lord. Kagome blinked.

" _Is_ there a reason I should be concerned, Lord Sesshoumaru?" She inquired, somewhat worried at his sudden interest in escorting services. The taiyoukai raised a brow, seemingly offended he would need to explain any of his actions to anyone for any reason. Her uterus suddenly cramped and she could feel the blood rushing through her.

'Shit!'

She needed to wrap this argument up.

"Hn." Both Inuyasha and Kagome huffed in exasperation now, neither knowing what the hell it meant. Kagome waved one hand and pushed Inuyasha out of her way. She barely brushed by the silk of Sesshoumaru's haori.

"I don't care one way or another. Come if you want to, but keep your distance. I have business to attend to." She grumped, continuing towards the trail she's blazed for the day. They'd been staying close to the creek for a bit while Kagome waited out the worst days of her cycle before they carried on, blessedly thanks to Sango and her unyielding assurance it was necessary for them to be stopped. Sesshoumaru said nothing, but continued after her. Inuyasha, not wanting to miss out on food, seemed torn, and eventually gave a pointed glare to his brother.

"Don't let anything happen to her, shit bag. You'll answer to me if she gets hurt." She didn't see or hear his response as she marched away toward the creek. About five minutes later, she arrived where she had been cleaning herself and glanced back, seeing a flash of white trailing after her.

'Great...' she internally groaned. She hadn't anticipated what she'd do when she reached her potty spot. She cleared her throat loudly.

"Stay there. I'm... I'm going to the bathroom." She called, flushing again with embarrassment, but went about digging another small trench for her waste. She dampened a sanitary napkin and went to work, moving quickly to finish her business. Once the worst was done, she took a terrycloth dishrag and dampened it as well to wipe over her face before bedtime. She gathered her things up and headed back the way she came, coming upon Sesshoumaru as she headed back towards the campsite. They exchanged a brief glance and she continued on.

"Miko." The deep timbre of his voice startled her, and she turned.

"Yes?"

"This one has noticed a deep scent trailing your company as of late. We are assuming the scent is coming from you?" There was the tiniest hint of a question in the lilt of his voice. She scowled at him, flushing in embarrassment and frustration before jamming her hands on her hips.

"I swear to GOD! I KNOW OKAY!" She blurted angrily. "I SMELL HORRIBLE. You really don't need to mention it, it isn't like this is something I can help!" He blinked slowly at her. "Besides, I'm looking into ways to ebb the smell. It'll be over in another day or two, so if my smell is soooo offensive," she fumed sardonically, "I suggest you take the rest of your travel mates and leave. I'm getting tired of you weirdo demons telling me I smell." She threw her arms akimbo and had spun on one heel to storm away when she was stopped once again by his baritone.

"It is not offensive." That gave her pause. She glance back questioningly. "It is the contrary. You are attracting predators. It smells..." For the first time in her life, she watched the demon lord pause, seeming to search for the wording. In all his eloquence, she'd never seen him struggle with phrasing. "The scent is attractive for multiple reasons. One of which is prey..." he paused, eyeing her carefully as though he was curious what her response would be as he explained. "The other is based on breeding. One would suggest you to find a way to mask the scent before it finds its way to another that does not care for your consent." She balked at him in disbelief. Had... Had Sesshoumaru just...? 'Naaaahhhh....' she flustered. Her quiet seemed to encourage him to continue.

"Understand this is a warning simply due to This One's ward. Rin enjoys human interactions with this pack. We are not accustomed to pairing an already vulnerable creature with scent that marks her as good eating." Sesshoumaru paused. Kagome was losing her mind. Even in the dark, she could see the tiniest hint of a smirk appear on his pale face. "Even if you happen to be exactly that."

She stared. It didn't really occur to her that her mouth had dropped open, but Sesshoumaru had taken advantage of her halting and as he passed, paused just long enough before her to place a cool fingerpad under her chin and snap it shut.

"You already ate dinner, Priestess. Flies are not a good palate cleanser." He breezed by, and left her standing staring after him as he continued back to the campsite ahead.

"I swear to god, he just made two jokes in conversation that nobody ever expected he have with anyone, let alone me." She mumbled to herself, shaking her head in disbelief as she finally found the umph to move forward again. This was one she was going to have to share with Sango. Clearly, her period was becoming a problem.

~*~

Sesshoumaru could readily kick himself.

The conversation had taken an unintentional turn for the lewd, and he'd been nearly powerless to stop it in the wake of the tantalizing scents that kept barraging his senses. Instead, as he entered the camp he kicked Jaken who'd been snoozing where Sesshoumaru had originally settled. The little green goblin screeched in surprise before apologizing with a bow.

"Where is Rin? We take our leave." Jaken bowed again and hobbled over to where the little girl had fallen asleep beside the kitsune on the silky blanket the priestess had set out close to the fire. He was about to poke the girl with his staff when Sesshoumaru stopped him.

"Jaken. Leave her to sleep. She will be retrieved on the morrow; until then, This Sesshoumaru leaves her to you and Ah-Un." With that, he turned on his heel and moved to depart from the campsite.

"Good riddance, flea sack." He heard Inuyasha grumble.

"Ahem! Uh, Sesshoumaru. You're welcome to stay for the evening if you like." It was the priestess again. The monk and slayer shifted and exchanged glances as they watched the exchange.

"Hn." He continued on his way out and down the road. The scent was flaring again, with something that was fighting his exit. A shiver of something ran down his back and he continued away from the camp before launching into the sky, searching for a fresh breeze to carry it away. To his great annoyance and displeasure, it lingered on in memory. Unbidden, a horrible, delightful, blasphemous idea fluttered through his mind. The Demon Lord frowned hard. The scene that played through his imagination put the priestess in a position of exuberant obedience. One where thick black hair thrashed as she squirmed beneath ministrations that claimed her scent and mixed it with his own warning bouquet. This wouldn't do at all.


	2. Dango to Sango

Two days after Jaken had taken his leave with little Rin and Ah-Un her cycle stopped and the entire group was ready to move on. Blessedly there were rumors floating around one of the villages not far off the beaten path to the Bone Eater's well regarding shards and monsters, and thus they found themselves headed in that direction. In the meantime, Sango had begun to teach her the finer points of hunting. As she spoke, Inuyasha interjected with the occasional word of advice. He was a natural hunter after all, and was a good reference for how scent worked in general. 

"Part of being a hunter and wearing what I wear is to help mask my scent. My clothes help hide my natural musk -" She glowered at the monk who had let out a measured huff resembling a laugh, "Which EVERYONE has regardless of what anyone thinks. Right Inuyasha?"  
The unsually quiet hanyou nodded once as he walked along with his hands in his sleeves.  
"All ya'll have a smell to ya. Its kinda like your very own flag or somethin'. Tells me whos who, y'know?"   
Kagome smiled, curiosity piqued.  
"Soooo, like, can you put a smell to it? Like flowers or like food? Like sweet or salty?"

The hanyou frowned, thinking hard for a moment. "I guess, yea. Like how Ramen in the weird cups you bring from the future smells waaaay different from the ramen in the shops here. Sometimes its hard to explain though, I guess. Like how lightning has a smell but you can't really put it to explaining. You just know its there by the smell."  
Everyone seemed to agree amongst themselves as the walked along, even if the observation put Kagome off asking what her scent was (outside of her period, of course...).   
"I will say, one of the most useful tools I have for hiding scent is easily I gathered at Lake Kasumigaura. Its something called soda ash, and its been used for generations to help clean and mask the smell of us hunters. Good for bloodstains too!" Sango exclaimed.   
Kagome nodded, wondering why it sounded so familiar. 

"Did anyone else think it was weird?" Inuyasha said out off the blue. Kagome glanced at him. He'd been so terribly lost in thought she hadn't wanted to annoy him and the silence was nice on the rare occasion it was given.   
"It isn't like Sesshomaru to just appear out of nowhere - and then stick around. Did he say anything to you?" Inuyasha looked straight at her. Kagome tried not to fluster. She hadn't exactly told them of their conversation on her way back from freshening up, and definitely hadn't told them about the odd innuendo he'd teased her with. She was fairly certain she'd fantasized that last part.   
"Kagome - did he say anything to ya?" Inuyasha repeated, sounding mildly annoyed and concerned.   
"Uh... Oh. Well. I suppose yeah." She answered, wondering if maybe she stayed quiet she wouldn't have to go into details. They moved on for another minute or so, and the weight of everyone's gaze practically made her squirm.  
"He was... Really he was just warning me about the smell or something and all that. Said something about wanting to keep Rin safe and not let her be around me when I smell like whatever." Her hasty explanation was accepted but there was still questioning in their eyes. It was Sango that piped up.  
"Well what insight did he give you, Kagome?"   
"I'll tell you when we're alone. Its kind of embarrassing right now. Really tired of talking about what a problem child I am here."   
Sango gave her a pitied look and nodded. Kagome knew Sango felt bad, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that she was becoming more of a hinderance that a help. Having had to stop so many times since discovering her unique new problem had put the off of collecting additional shards in a timely manner. Then they were changing their original course after deciding as a group they needed to do something about the problem and were headed back the way they came! It wouldn't surprise her if they were all exasperated and frustrated having to deal with her little problems again.   
They travelled the countryside in silence again, making their way toward Kaede's village. 

~*~

Peace had once again returned in the domain of the Western Lord, and the demons were getting back into the routines they had garnered before the miko had brought her unsettling scent with her. There were a few minor exceptions, one of which was an odd rumor Naraku was fooling around his southermost border, where he had run into the hanyou's pack. It was a rumor which he had been researching when the half-demon had nearly plowed his steed into the barberry bushes. He found it amusing that the group tended to chase their tales with Naraku - where they would hunt for him, he was usually sure to follow them. He surmised if they stayed in one place for any amount of time, the filthy half-demon would most likely make an appearance. The group did, after all, have the next largest Shikon shard collection by comparison. 

Sesshoumaru's pack was settled nicely for a few hours by a peaceful riverside so the little human could bathe and rest. It wasn't until recently he found it necessary to ensure such stops were made. Jaken was not always faithful to stop for the little one; he understood completely. Human needs were not something demons took into account. However human musk, especially the scent in children, tended to draw demons in for food. It made for an excellent brush up on honing his skills, but every now and again it was irksome when he needed to leave on other business. Just because he was highly competent in himself and his more feral practices relating to his beast didn't mean he was forever in control. He was a naturally occurring demon, and had needs of his own to fulfill. Neither were Jaken or Ah-Un able to defeat some of the stronger demons that might have come to eat the child. He could leave them for some time, anywhere from a week to the rare fortnight, but he would always be required to return until she was old enough to begin training in her own self defense.

Sesshoumaru perused the vast green meadow edging the river. It was dotted with the wildflowers Rin loved, bowing in the warm spring breeze with the rest of the grass. The child herself was running around in her undergarments on the sandy shore of the river, playing with rocks and building miniature huts with the mud there. Rin was still terribly young and knew nothing of defending or fighting as an individual. Clearly she'd only been taught very basic skills in a village where she was sure to have become a breeder, bearing more humans and going about a short life. Fate had other ideas for her when he intervened. It wasn't much more, but Sesshoumaru did not intend to leave her useless to the world.

He considered the reading, writing priestess back at the campfire a week or so ago. Of all things to be fluent in, the priestess seemed to know less of her charge as a purifying force and more about the world around her. She easily pointed out edible plants, was using basic poultices in healing, had new medications being used all the time. To his surprise, she was also becoming an accomplished marksman - he should know, having had more than once been on the receiving end of purifying arrows. It made him consider asking for a favor. 

Something Sesshoumaru did not do. 

He did know enough about the miko that the best motivator would be sweet, not bitter. Threats of violence would only push her to circle her friends and defend. He required her aid; which meant he would need to be sweet. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes watched the laughing girl as she bent back down and began telling a story with the sticks in the mud on the river bank.   
"Rin. Rinse yourself and dry in the field. We leave when you are dressed." He rumbled.   
"Yes my lord!" She called sweetly. His head tilted. Rin did have a honeyed way about her. Perhaps he could explain, and let the child do the talking. Should she request education from the priestess, he was sure it would tug the woman's heartstrings and she'd be unable to refuse.  
"When you are finished, come here. This Sesshoumaru has business for you." 

~*~

Kagome was both fascinated and horrified with the place Kaede had insisted Sango take her. The large wood building was essentially a bath house, and the women inside were welcoming to a fault. Sango had kicked Miroku to the curb and left the menfolk behind to learn in peace. Two of them escorted the girls inside and they sat in a small tea room. Kagome squirmed.  
"I don't think this is the greatest idea." She whispered to Sango. "I mean, what could we actually learn here that I don't already know from an anatomy book. I could find something back home to help!"   
Sango rolled her eyes.  
"I don't want to rain on your sunny day, but what if we are too far from your home to do something when your cycle hits again? We can't keep to the same pattern of travel when we could learn something here that will help." Sango insisted.  
The paper door slid back and two naturally beautiful women were bowed low with a set of tea. When they came up from their bow, both ladies blinked in surprise at the ladies sitting in the room.

"Oh dear." They exchanged a glance but proceeded to bring in the tea and snacks. "Welcome! We hope you enjoy your stay with us! May we keep you company?"  
Kagome and Sango nodded. All four women sat quietly and an awkward hush fell over the room. Kagome felt absolutely ridiculous. She was a woman of science, an empowered woman. Why should she be embarrassed about this. Inhaling, she swallowed the embarrassment and fear and cleared her throat.  
"So. My name is Higurashi Kagome. I'm here on more of a fact finding mission." She said with the most intense smile she'd ever forced. The women shifted.  
"Soooo you aren't interested in women?" The brunette in the pink yukata queried. Kagome swiped her hands and shook her head in the negative.  
"Not like that, no!" She chittered. "No, see I'm having some lady issues with my cycle I've never had before, and I've come for some woman on woman advice on how to handle it. I couldn't stand to ask my mother these things; not when we live with my brother and grandpa."   
The petite black haired woman with bangs in the red yukata gave a deep sigh.   
"I see." She gave a brilliant smile. "This is so much better than I thought it was going to be!"  
All the girls laughed and the tension in the room dispersed quickly.   
"So what exactly is the problem?" The brunette asked. Kagome's face scrunched.  
"Lets introduce ourselves first. So as you know, I'm Kagome, and this is my friend Sango!" Kagome bent at the waist.   
"OH! Yes, of course. I'm Eri, and this here is Yuna!" The brunette, now Eri introduced. "Come now, tell us what the problem is! You came to a brothel, didn't you? Surely it can't be that bad!"  
Sango and Kagome exchanged a cursory glance and Kagome dropped her eyes.   
"Well... I keep getting some odd comments from... From the local demon population. About my smell, that is." Kagome stammered. Yuna and Eri frowned. 

"Oooooh... This could indeed be a problem." Yuna said softly. She glanced at Eri. "Perhaps we could call for the half demon that works with the more.. Wiley customers."  
Eri nodded and rose gracefully, exiting. She was gone for a few minutes before returning with a stocky red haired woman. She had ears that sloped downwards like a brown hare and big golden eyes. Her skin was a gentle tan color and she looked sweet in the face. Then she opened her mouth.  
"Ahhhh you're a priestess! It isn't a wonder you're having problems! I thought I felt a disturbance in the force, you lewd woman you! My name is Ansatsu. I'm a hare hanyou, and I'm here to service you!" She winked at Sango and Kagome with a kohl rimmed eye, and both women flushed. "Ya know, I charge a bit extra by comparison of these ladies, and I do insist you pay them for wasting their time."

Kagome nodded enthusiastically. Ansatsu dismissed them with a jerk of her head.   
"Of course, its only fair. So did Eri tell you about my... My problem?" Kagome asked softly. Ansatsu shrugged.  
"The basics I guess. Something about you having a stink that bothers demons. Which is only natural." She frowned at both of them. "The only issue is, I can smell hanyou on you. I recognize that stank too! Isn't that Inuyasha's wet dog stench I smell on you?"  
"Whaaaat?!" Sango and Kagome exclaimed in shock, eyes widened. Ansatsu smirked.   
"What, you think that boy doesn't have needs? I see plenty of him here. Looks like the bunny is outta the bag! Now. Lets get back to the problem. He's complained about it before, and I think I can offer you some advice to help you out." 

Ansatsu began pouring tea for herself and filled the others as she spoke, pushing the cups toward them.  
"Listen. Priestess' tend to have a stronger smell than your average human. Don't get me wrong," She looked pointedly at Sango, balked at her, "Some of y'all still smell pretty strong. But it isn't the same kinda smell. So think about it like this. If you smell a juicy savory bunch of meat dumplings, as humans you're all gonna have your mouth start watering. First thought? Food. You ain't gonna fuck a dumpling. That isn't the instinct with that smell."  
At least with her foul language it felt just like family, Kagome mused as she sipped the hot jasmine tea Ansatsu had provided.   
"Now with you, pretty little miko, there is a different smell. I'm just gonna take a wild guess here and assume you are a virgin, right priestess?"  
Kagome shrugged.

"I really haven't found the right person to go that far with."  
"Sounds about right for a priestess. You have a smell that is stronger than your average human because it has very pure particles to it. Your cycle is technically your 'unclean' time - its when you purge the unused egg. At the same time, you're purifying that which is unclean in you, which amplifies the smell you're putting out." Ansatsu finished her tea and put the cup aside to make way for the sake saucer. Her brows raised in question, tilting the bottle towards the girls. "It is part of the service you're paying for."   
"Of course. Please and thank you."  
She poured healthy servings for the girls in their empty teacups and gave them a toothy grin.

"Now, just before a woman comes to her cycle, she's fertile. She can be impregnated. It also means that she has a scent she gives out to let the surrounding males know, Hey! I'm over here, fuck me blind until I'm preggo!"   
Kagome grimaced at the sake as well as the language. It wasn't her first time imbibing, but the liquor back home with the girls on girls night out was usually more refined that this, and while girl talked generally veered towards sex, it wasn't commonly so crass. Ansatsu filled her saucer and drank again.  
"Now that's how it usually is for demons. I'm about... Lets see..." Ansatsu thought for a moment. " I think I'm around two-hundred and fifty-three. I've experienced my fair share of cycles and have two little ones to show for it. During my cycle I can usually fend off the weaker demons for a better chance at a more caring mate. My scent attracts demons for fucking during a cycle." She sighed and gave Kagome an apologetic smile, topping off her teacup with more sake before finishing the bottle herself.  
"This is where things get sticky for you priestess. You have a scent that is... Unique in a way." She faltered, still seeming to figure out how to explain it to the girls who were listening at attention. "Ya'll ever had a... well a food that smells sweet and yummy, but for some reason made you all hot and bothered?"   
"Dango." Sango answered out of the blue. Kagome's head swiveled around to stare at her friend, who had a light dusting of pink over her face. Clearly, the sake had loosened her lips. Ansatsu, surprised, laughed in delight.

"Right? Yeah! Dango kinda remind me of balls. Delicious to suck on. You get it!" She applauded Sango and then inhaled. Smirking she ducked her head closer to the slayer. "You're no virgin either.... Who's sweet dango balls have YOU been licking?"   
"Dear God, Sango. Really?" Kagome squealed. Sango giggled and hiccupped.   
"I mean, wasn't somethin' you just share with the town." She slurred in response, gathering herself comically and throwing her nose in the air. "I'm still a lady!"  
Ansatsu called for Eri and requested a refill.   
"So you ladies are staying the evening with us, right? You don't mind if I have another on ya'll. I'll share!" Ansatsu insisted. Then she waggled her eyebrows at Kagome. "We still have things to discuss anywho."   
Eri and Yua prepared a room beside the tea room and had everything laid out while Ansatsu, Sango and Kagome continued to drink and talk.   
"So you, Kagome, smell like Dango to Sango over there, to a demon. Ya get where I'm goin' with this?" The drunker Ansatsu got, the heavier her odd yocal got. She sounded more and more like Inuyasha, but smarter. Kagome snickered to herself. The more she imagined the two of them together, the better the pieces seemed to fit.   
"Yeah. Kind of."   
"Now when a powerful demon comes across you and you're fertile, he really can't decide if he wants to eat you, or fuck you."  
The liquor was making Kagome feel warm bellied and cocky. She rolled her eyes and nodded exaggeratedly.   
"Yeah, I already figured that out."   
Sango shot her a squinty glare. "Wait. How...?"   
Kagome was beyond being embarrassed.  
"'Member when Sesshoumaru took me to the river?"  
Sango nodded, still squinting at her. 

"Well he kinda told me something like I might be good eating... In kinda like a sexy way." She mumbled. Sango eyes and mouth widened comically slow.   
"Pffffssshhhh nooooo!" She balked. Kagome shrugged hard and imitated the silver haired monster that oozed sex appeal.  
" 'We are not accustomed to pairing an already vulnerable girl with a scent that marks her for eating, even if you happen to be just that!' " She blurted. "Then he pushed my mouth closed because I'm pretty sure I was staring with my mouth wide open. It was a whole weird conversation."   
Ansatsu leaned back on the tatami mats with sake bottle in hand.

"We are talking about Lord of the West Sesshoumaru, dog demon terror who hasn't been seen touching a woman in five hundred years right?" She asked. "Don't get it mixed up - the tales of his prowess is the stuff of legend, right? You never see or hear him take a woman directly, but there are three or four demoness women that tell tales out of bed claiming he's the best they've ever had, and he's ruined them for any other mate. That Western Dog Demon Lord Sesshoumaru?"  
Kagome blinked at hanyou before nodding slowly. "I guess that is who we are talking about..."

"If I didn't know any better priestess, you were on some dangerous ground that night. Sounds to me like he wants to eat you up. And not as a dinner either. Eh, Sango?"   
Sango cackled and raised her teacup. "Yup." She shushed them. "Remember though, ladies don't kiss and tell."  
Kagome warmed at the direction the conversation was headed. She hadn't wanted to assume Sesshoumaru was making some kind of pass at her; it didn't seem he was the kind to do so. At the same time, to be ruined for other men because of a one night stand... That sounded... She sighed. Like the kind of crap that came out of a romance novel read by a delusional, sexually charged girl child.   
"So what can be done about this problem, because what if Sesshoumaru or someone like him come for me and I wind up being eaten." Kagome griped. Ansatsu shook her finger at Kagome.

"Now THATS the question to ask. There are a few ways a demoness can hide herself from the wandering male nose. Its why I don't have so many more little ones to care for. One liter was enough for me." She answered. "Now as we get older, we ladies can run across one another and learn tricks of the trade from other demoness females. I was lucky enough one took pity on me for being half-demon and taught me the tricks."  
She blew a breath out.  
"The only problem we might have here is how it translates to you, priestess. Because what might work for a demon... May not work for a human... The first trick is a natural thing I learned back in the day. You know what a grapefruit is?"  
Kagome nodded, confused.   
"You can use that or a lemon. Cut the tip of one off, and put it up inside you. It changes the smell, and even if you are attacked it can kill off whatever invades if you don't want a baby."

"The other thing I learned was that heavy perfumes, in certain scents, can change the nature of what you're putting out. So there was one year I couldn't get ahold of the usual fruits, and I had to resort to dousing myself in a strong male's piss. It was disgusting, but it marked me in a way that other males wouldn't mess with. I kept some of it and used it as a base in a perfume, so it could be used for a while."   
She watched both Sango and Kagome make faces and shrugged.  
"Well the last one might translate well if you are the priestess I'm sensing you are. Some of the more powerful demons, as you know, can create barriers around themselves to conceal their identities. They are literally small enough to cover the individual. But it takes a lot of training to be able to control your energy enough to actually create the barrier and keep it up. Demons have constant swirling pressure and renewing energy they draw from to create barriers that can stay up until they have been broken. I'm not sure how a priestess can do the same thing. I suggest, if you have a temple that is willing to train you, you go there for the barrier thing. Especially if you find natural deterrents gross."  
Kagome settled her cup on the table.

"Yeah. I can't imagine dousing myself in demon pee to deter other males."  
Ansatsu huffed in agreement. "You don't have demon senses, either. That stuff smells awful. Even if its been buried under lavender and eucalyptus."   
Both girls laughed. With her original goal fulfilled, they began to chatter amongst themselves, pawing at Sango for details about when and where she'd finally given in to the monk's advances. They were all three of them completely drunk singing folk songs when Inuyasha and crew came to check on them. Truthfully, for Kagome who sat between the hanyou lady of the night and her best friend, it was the best night she'd had in a while since her problems had begun. At some point, the sake had started to make the room wobbly, and she had decided to sprawl out on the futon that had been laid out. Ansatsu bid them goodnight, closing the paper door before hollering at Inuyasha she was free for the rest of the evening. If it weren't for the heaviness in the back of her eyes she would probably have been curious to hear what the outcome of Ansatsu's catcalling (or in this case, puppy calling). Regardless, the moment she hit the sleeping mat she passed out into a blissful, happy sleep. 


	3. Scent Throw

There was a loud shout that made Kagome's eyes shoot open. Then there was a horrible realization that she, Kagome, had had waaaay too much sake last night. The sun shone wicked and bright, much to her dismay. Her mouth had stayed open last night she realized due to the puddle of drool on the mat she had slept on last night. She kept blinking, hoping at some point the light would be a little less cruel. She moved her arms and legs trying to rise, feeling heavy all over. Someone's arm plopped down on the mat and she followed it to its owner. It was then Kagome realized they had formed some kind of a doggie pile in all sorts of disarray. One of Sango's legs awas strewn somewhere, someone's torso had one of Kagome's hands pinned and it took longer than she was comfortable sharing to extracate herself from the drunken pile.   
Once she did, she felt her stomach lurch and she crawled to the back paper door, shoving it aside so she could vomit over the side of the wooden porch. 

Right between a pair of pristine black shoes. 

She wretched a few more times until her stomach was empty and turned away from the mess she'd made, sitting up and rubbing her head.   
"Drink." A deep voice commanded.   
Like magic, a wooden box filled with cool water appeared beside her head. She accepted with no questions, rinsing her mouth and spitting the excess out, away from the nice boots that were still stationed beside her, before taking a long drink.   
"Thank you very much." She rasped. "That helps a lot."   
"One would never have expected you here. We had to leave Rin outside this village knowing what was here."  
An unpleasant chill rushed through here when she realized the baritone belonged to one very displeased-looking taiyoukai.   
"We imagined you were above coming places like this." He rumbled, disapproval radiating through his body. "Let alone drinking enough to nearly ruin a perfectly good pair of boots when it doesn't agree."  
Kagome very nearly vomited again when she met the taiyoukai's gleaming golden eyes. She felt like a little girl, hand stuck in the cookie jar and she'd been caught by a disapproving parent.  
 _'What big teeth you have, Daddy._ ' Drunk Kagome purred. Chilly, sober Kagome snapped her drunk self in half and shoved her in a travel bag to be buried with another body so nobody would ever find her again.   
"We came on a fact finding mission..." She said quietly, reaching back and shutting the paper door so the girls would stay asleep. "Now that we have the information I need, we'll be leaving back to see Kaede so she can help us find what we're looking for."  
Sesshoumaru's face looked more pinched than usual.  
"We will escort you when you have cleaned. Rin would like to ask you something."  
He said nothing more, and walked away, silver hair swaying behind him.  
"I wish that hair weren't so damn long. I'd love to watch his ass leave." Ansatsu's voice made Kagome jump. She glared at the hanyou, who had clearly been snooping.   
"Lets wake Sango. Its time for us to go." Kagome said, rubbing her eyes grumpily.

~*~

Sango eyed Sesshoumaru warily from behind. Kagome gave her a tiny shrug and continued walking with him out of the village. People were scattering in front of them left and right, closing blinds and shutting doors if they had them. Not that the icy demon lord noticed - he seemed too irritated to make eye contact. The longer they walked together the more his clear irritation rubbed off on her. She was a virgin, and had been out drinking before at the occasional party her friends invited her to. Really, it was the best way to deal with the frustrations being a virgin. Even in this day and age, it wasn't unheard of for a woman to have sake with her friends. That Sesshoumaru was such a harsh judge was beginning to piss her off. They were coming upon the edge of the village, and her annoyance was coming to a boiling point. 

"Sesshoumaru." 

He glanced at her, never breaking stride.  
"If you're going to continue to give me crap about being in a brothel, you can go ahead and jump in a river."  
His eyes narrowed at her, pace slowing a tick.   
"Not that its any business of yours why we were there, but I'm sure you remember giving me advice I didn't ask for. It was appreciated and lead me here for more answers to questions you probably wouldn't be comfortable sitting down with a human woman and chatting about." She ground through her teeth. "Being you're already so uncomfortable just coming to a brothel, somehow talking about women's menstrual cycles doesn't strike me as conversation you'd enjoy making with a group."  
Sesshoumaru suddenly turned on her, surprising Sango as much as her. He grabbed her arm and yanked her forward.

"You know nothing about this Sesshoumaru. We will allow this, and this only - Rin is about to request you as her tutor. This Sesshoumaru will not tolerate you taking her to such places as brothels or acting in a manner unbecoming of a lady who presents in high standing. Its bad enough you cannot control your scent, even though this one has known many priestesses who have had enough control of their spiritual prowess to create barriers to protect the innocent and themselves from demons. If you have questions of this Sesshoumaru, we will allow them while she is under your tutelage, if that is something you choose to accept. Until then, your invitation for a dip in the river applies as much to you as it does to this one."

She blinked at him, surprised at the sudden admission he would allow for her to teach his young ward. Kagome knew he wouldn't trust just anyone with Rin's teaching, and surely he had access to tutors of the highest caliber in this day and age. It was also endearing; he was merely trying to ensure Rin had a suitable role model. Clearly his intention for her was not to wind up in a brothel serving men sake for the remainder of her human life.   
"I'm.. I'm honored you'd consider me a worthy tutor." Kagome said. She pulled her arm out of his vice-like grip. "But my statement stands. I can appreciate I don't know anything about you, and I'll take you up on your offer for interrogation later on... But if Rin will learn anything from me, its going to include being able to do what she wants wherever she is, with the strength to protect herself from anyone that would stop her. Are you alright with that?"  
Sesshoumaru's arm came up and gripped her throat. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but his large hand hadn't tightened; in fact, if it weren't for the terrifying fact she could imagine the blood and poison running in rivers down his arm, she'd say it was kinda sexy. He searched her face for a long few moments before leaning in close to her ear and answering.

"This Sesshoumaru approves of such teaching methods." He whispered in her ear. His thumb moved discretely over her pulse before he released her gently.   
Sesshoumaru continued walking out of the village. broad shoulders relaxed as ever.  
Sango touched her shoulder.  
"What did he say to you?" She asked incredulously. Kagome couldn't stop the curious grin that blossomed after him.  
"Just that he approves my teaching methods."   
~*~

Rin bounded up to Kagome the moment they were outside of the village, squealing in delight as she picked the girl up and swung her in a circle before giving her a big hug.  
"Hello sweetie! I hear you have a question for me!" Kagome sang sweetly, cozying Rin on her hip. Rin had thrown her little arms around Kagome's neck as she nodded.  
"Yes Kagome-sama. Sesshoumaru-sama told Rin to ask Kagome-sama to teach Rin how to be a lady!"  
Kagome shot Sesshoumaru a quizzical glance, her brow raised. He was staring off into the distance, indifferent to her opinions.   
"Sesshoumaru-sama, huh?" She said loud as she walked along toward the group they'd left back at Kaede-sama's village. "Well, darling Rin. What do you want?"  
Rin seemed to look off into the distance, like she was thinking hard.  
"Rin wants to learn how to be a lady, like Kagome-sama!" She answered brightly. Kagome's heart squeezed and she kissed Rin on the temple.   
"I think we can do that. But here's the deal." She began, swinging Rin from side to side with each step. "I need to find some things that will help me teach you some things I'm not sure how to teach you. Being a lady is easy. Being a clever lady is much harder. I'm going to make sure to teach you to be clever as well as being a lady."   
Rin beamed at her, then at her guardian.   
"Did you hear Sesshoumaru-sama? Rin will be a clever lady!"  
"What do other things do you require for your teaching, priestess?" He asked over his shoulder. She moved Rin to her back so she could walk a little faster.  
"Back home there are tutoring books that make learning much easier than verbal learning. When we get back, I'm going to ask Rin-chan here what she doesn't know, and take some notes as to which books I should bring back from home."  
"What kind of questions, Kagome-sama?" Rin asked.  
"Well, the first question is how many numbers you know, and if you know any math. The second is if you know how to write any letters, or read any letters. And the last one is if you know anything about how your body works. The first is called Maths, the second is called Reading, and the third is called Hygiene. This will start you on the path to becoming a clever woman." Kagome answered. 

~*~ 

Sesshoumaru was discrete as he listened to Kagome talk with Rin. She was gentle and understanding, speaking slowly and concisely as she asked Rin questions about what knowledge she already had. He had no deigns on where exactly the priestess lived, merely that she traveled through a time slip. They had never had a real conversation about how far in the future she lived. Then again, conversational skills were not something Sesshoumaru fostered much of outside of court. Particularly with humans. The usual reaction was exactly the same with every village. Running and hiding in their homes, cowering in corners. He could smell the fear in the villages. Some days, he reveled in the stink, loving the carnage that usually came beside it. 

Other days it made his stomach curl in anger at the weakness they showed. Regardless, his rapport with the priestess Kagome and her gangly pack was usually the only human contact he kept outside of his young ward. And the priestess was usually a refreshing change from the constant stink of human fear. The only thing he disdained was the fact she was as cavalier with him. Occasionally, it gave the less controlling side of his instincts ideas he was sure would wind up seeing him purified.   
Truthfully, Sesshoumaru had followed her lighter scent into the village the evening before, puzzled as to why he had tracked her to a brothel. He'd picked up most of what had been said the night before. According to what he'd heard the night before, she was still a virgin. What he wasn't sure he scented before, he was sure now. Virgin's priestess blood during a menstrual cycle was some of the most potent demon attractant he'd ever seen. So much so, even thinking about it as he walked along forced him to excercise physical restraint on his member, pushing down his arousal with deep meditation away from thoughts of blood. 

He briefly entertained the idea of offering to teach the priestess about barriers and how to use them. Over time, he'd been taught that demons and priestesses may have opposing energies, but the worked similarly. The way the energy was called up was different; whereas demons generally relied on instinct, humans required training and discipline as well as prayer and belief in higher powers. The problem with this offering was the fact that Sesshoumaru had deigned to avoid prayer. There as no real reason for a demon to partake, as most demons were creatures of the earth - they preferred to keep out of spiritual matters.   
Most humans seemed to take to prayers, be them heavenly or hellish. He often found himself curious in quieter moments of the day as to how they seemed as a species to swim in and out of realms. It was a philosophical conversation for another day. For now, he would mull over his offer to help the priestess. Even if it was at detriment to himself - surely the limits of the discipline he had over his more instinctual self would be tested.

~*~

Sesshoumaru had taken his pack and continued his walkabout when the arrived back with Kagome’s group. She had instructed him to come back in a couple of days so she had time to gather some supplies so she could start teaching properly. She assured everyone she would be there and back when she left back to home to gather the necessary supplies.   
Once Kagome was back home, she took time to do exactly that. She queried her mother, even a few school teachers about what books would be best to start a little girl on reading, writing and basic mathematics. Hygiene was easy, but she had found flash cards that would help explain and teach her about basic body parts. Once she had collected all the items she needed, she decided to look for a little bag that the girl could carry her things with. It had to be natural, not flashy, and have no tags or defining marks on it from the future. She searched for half a day before calling it quits and gathering everything to head back, having spent two days back home working on some extra curricular college credits for her last year while she’d been shopping for teaching materials.   
She had just finished a bath and was dressing to go back out, hiking a flowing yellow skirt over her hips before slipping into a white cotton tee. She breezed downstairs and sat with her family over a meal, savoring their time together. She went about kissing her mother’s cheek, patting her brother’s head, and hugging her grandfather when her mother presented her with a hand made cotton drawstring bag.   
“You weren’t finding anything for the little girl, so I thought something like this would be best. I don’t know what colors she likes, but purple was always one of my favorites.” Her mother beamed at her. Kagome’s heart filled with love and she kissed her mother on the cheek again.   
“You’re the best mama!” Kagome hugged her tight and began transferring some of the supplies she’d gathered in her back to the deep purple drawstring bag. Once everything was where it needed to be, she slipped some tennis shoes on and headed outside. Every time through the well felt like the first. It made her bubble with giddiness and excitement. When she came through the other side, she felt refreshed from home and excited to show Rin her new set of school gear.   
“Kagome’s back!” She could hear Shippo shout.  
She climbed up the ladder they’d installed in the well and was greeted with not with the usual red fire-rat robe, but a flashing white silk haori. Looking up, she saw Sesshoumaru’s face staring down at her. He offered her a large clawed hand and she accepted. Pulling her out of the well with one arm he settled her gently on the ground.  
“Rin was unsettled and wished to come back sooner rather than later.” Was his explanation when she raised one eyebrow at him.  
“Fair enough. I do have something for her made by my mom. Where is she?”  
She didn’t have to wait long before a two little streaks, one of black and one of red, flew over the meadow to greet her. She would have been bowled over by the happy children if a wall of taiyoukai hadn’t been directly behind her, halting her backward fall. She paid no mind to the demon lord, instead hugging the delighted children and taking their hands to walk toward the village as she listened to their animated chattering.   
“I have some new books for both of you! I’m so excited! You’ll get to do homework just like I do on our downtime! Soon you’ll know how to read and write and do maths!”   
She didn’t notice the tug on her skirt as she continued on.

~*~

The priestess had taken to wearing the scraps of cloth again. The brilliant yellow one she wore around her waist had a clinging white cloth over her torso tucked into the skirt. Whatever the material was, it was so light even lifting her out of the well had it fluttering around her thighs. She was so busy with the children she hadn’t noticed that the garment had popped up and folded up under itself to a thin white fundoshi she wore under it to keep her... delicates... covered. Sesshoumaru felt his eyes start to bleed. Nothing was hidden from him under such thin cloth. He could trace the curve of ther rounded backside and where they were spread. The undergarment could hardly be called the bare minimum of coverage. When he could imagine her eyes hooded with desire looking back at him, knowing the yellow garment was exposing her to him and not giving a damn if he looked, that damned white cloth could not be called a covering. 

The children had rammed into the priestess, pushing her back into him. His arms froze just above her waist as the ass he was just picturing pressed his thighs. The scent she gave off during her cycle suddenly came crashing back over him and he could feel himself stiffen as she pressed harder, trying to bring herself back up. It was only a moment of time, but it felt ageless and agonizing. He would need to calm down before joining the group. Before fleeing to the woods beyond, he hooked one clawed finger under her skirt and pulled it back down over her bottom. 

He would need to teach her about barriers. It was the only thing that would save her from his instinct. 


	4. Masquer un Parfum

Kagome had begun teaching Rin little bits and pieces here and there and she was taking to learning like a fish to water. Currently, Sesshoumaru’s ward was working in a children’s workbook and loving every second. She even had a coloring book for when she was done working on learning. Sesshoumaru himself had gone missing almost immediately after helping her out of the well. She’d looked back halfway to the village and found it was just her and the children.

“So where to now? Kaede said there weren’t many shrines that specialized in training priestesses left in the area that took it very seriously after the many had turned and begun using their spiritual training for darker purposes.” Sango was saying. Kagome nodded. 

“We could start looking into the Naraku rumors that have drifted a little farther to the north. Maybe we’ll find something there. Travel won’t take too long. Hopefully we can beat Kagome’s cycle to the mountains in that direction.” 

“Agreed, I’m pretty sure I have about another two weeks before the next one starts.” Kagome was hopeful, and at the same time not. Lately the only thing that didn’t make her dread a row with a demon was the thought of teaching both Rin and Shippo basic kindergarten. They had a hunger for knowledge and enjoyed teaching everyone around them. Occasionally, Kagome found everyone else quieted and listening when she started teaching. 

There was only one other thing that bothered her.

“Rin, are you sure you don’t know where Sesshoumaru went?” Kagome asked the little girl, who was happily coloring with crayons in her new coloring book. Rin looked up and shook her head, but she seemed completely unconcerned.

“Sometimes my lord has things he has to do, but he can’t bring us with him. And that's okay. He just doesn’t want us in the way if he does something scary. Its easier to kill his enemies that way.” Rin hitched her shoulders up once and went back to her coloring. Kagome sighed, still unsure. She was sure he’d been there, but to just run off immediately after she’d come out of the well. 

“We need to get moving soon. I’m tired of staying in this one place. Pretty sure our welcome is worn out too.” Inuyasha dodged the spoon Kaede had been stirring the soup she was making for lunch.

“If ye’d keep your nose out of the pot, I wouldn’t feel the need to stir it in!” She shooed him away from the food and pushed him out the door. “Don’t feel unwelcome. Ye are welcome as long as ye need. We may need a bit of help hunting if you stay for much longer though.” 

“I’m sure we’ll be off in the morning, Kaede-sama. I have got to figure out how to solve this problem.... No offense.” Kagome blushed. Kaede had suggested a poultice that once it was assembled, was sure to cover the smell of a dead body. It was a double edged sword though - and meant that there would be a lump covering her lady bits the size of a softball and was expensive to assemble. When they tried to downsize it, things were being left out, and there was no surefire way to test it against a full blooded demon as there were none available that had experience enough to say yay or nay. Kaede waved the spoon around.

“Do not worry child. If it were me, having to decide to put that in my undergarments... I would have the same misgivings.” She chuckled. “I only wished to aid however I could.”

Kagome laughed and smiled. She would at the very least take it with her. Hopefully if her period started she would be able to use it as a cover. That would truly be the best test for it. 

“What is that infernal stench.” 

Kagome jumped alongside Sango as Sesshoumaru appeared in the door. His hand was covering his nose and his brows were lightly furrowed as his eyes searched the room. He landed on Kagome’s yellow bag, where she had put the poultice in a pouch. She squirmed back when he didn’t waste a second dipping his hand into the bag and pulling the pouch out.

“Dare this one ask what the purpose of this damnable thing is?” He growled.

“Well, now we know it works, Kagome-chan.” Kaede laughed. Kagome couldn’t help but snicker along with her.  
“Its a poultice meant to cover scents.” Sesshoumaru glared at the old woman standing at the pot. The sour smell of poison filled the hut and Kagome began to protest as Sesshoumaru palmed the bag and melted it to goo.

“That...” He grimaced in a rare public expression, “Will not be necessary. You seek a teacher for barriers. This Sesshoumaru will instruct you.”

A murmur went up between them all.  
“How will you go about teaching a priestess how to erect a barrier, demon? Are not your energies fundamentally different?” Kaede balked.

Sesshoumaru turned his annoyance on Kaede.

“Different, but alike. We have taught swordplay and energy control to a select few. This will be no different than honing the miko’s marksmanship.” He answered flippantly. “While we are traveling together, you will never use that disgusting poultice again.”

Kagome contemplated for a moment before speaking up. “What exactly is in that thing you don’t like?”

Sesshoumaru glanced at her. 

“Its a spear to a sensitive nose and stings. There is no way to smell around it, so not only would Our senses be dulled, so would the kit and half-breed. You may not appreciate the value of being able to scent enemies before they are upon you, but it is promised. To lose that ability puts one such as you at greater risk of rape.”

The group fell silent and stared at him. It unnerved her. He hadn’t said the demons would eat her. Sesshoumaru had gone to rape. Nobody liked to admit the demon knew what he was talking about, but when he shelled out words like rape when talking about issues he intended to solve.... The whole thing got much more real.

Kagome had been threatened with rape before. It wasn’t the first time, and even with the number of assaults she’d suffered, none of them had been as bad as the last few times. If it weren’t for a the intensity of her panic and the fury of the purifying power in her, she may not have been able to defend herself. She’d been awake and conscious every time thus far. This wasn’t the first time she’d wondered this, but if she’d been knocked out... Would it have happened to her? And if it had, how would she be able to cope? She wouldn’t be the first woman alive to be assaulted, by any means; but she wasn’t sure how she would get past something like that. 

“How are you so certain she’ll be raped, demon?” Kaede demanded. Sesshoumaru was silent, his bout of conversation over. His hooded golden eyes slid over to her, but he continued to remain quiet as he turned to leave the hut. Kagome scrambled to her feet and followed him. He’d picked up his pace considerably and she had to jog to keep up.

“Sesshoumaru! Wait!”

He paid her no mind and continued towards the edge of the wood.

“Sesshoumaru! Please...” 

He paused at her pleading.

“Why jump to rape? Why not just being eaten alive?” She pushed.

He turned to the side, and the way his eyes sized her up... She crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest. 

“You are...” He paused, his eyes piercing and fierce. “You are not ready for such an answer, priestess. We begin your training tomorrow morning as we travel.”

~*~ 

True to his word, he began teaching the priestess. They had begun to head north, following Naraku’s newest trail of death and destruction. Much of the basics had been covered, and there were things she had personally to work on. It was manipulating and twisting energy, something Kagome had next to no practice doing. 

Despite her obvious failings on the first day of his instruction, he showed no irritation or frustration when she didn’t pick up the practices right away. Sesshoumaru had Rin go and fetch a flower of her favorite color and scent. When she returned, she produced a beautiful fluffy yellow dandelion. He instructed Kagome to produce a barrier around it, using prayer and stretching the gathering energy to make it pliable for her to use as she pleased. 

For the rest of the day as they walked along, Kagome attempted to produce a small bauble of energy around the flower she’d been given. In the first ten minutes, she’d accidently purified the dandelion to ash.  
“Don’t worry Kagome-sama! Rin will get you another one!” 

Shippou scurried after her. Kagome purified another within a few minutes and this time the children made it a game, racing to find a flower similar to the original before the other. While she practiced, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru kept their distance within reason. Inuyasha took the helm, Sesshoumaru paced the back behind Ah-Un and Jaken. The end of the day came unexpectedly quickly while Kagome learned to stretch her power’s legs. She was still piddling with a small bead of purifying energy as dinner was started and only brought back to the real world when Sango requested her help cooking.

“Sorry Sango. This is... Harder than it sounded when Sesshoumaru explained it the first time.” She admitted. It wasn’t until after dinner she realized how much energy she had expended. Her fingertips felt warm, but she thought nothing of it as she bedded down for the night.

She picked up where she’d left off the day before, and managed to keep the dandelion in a perfect bubble for five minutes.

Sesshoumaru nodded when she turned to show him, then he smirked. Looking down she realized in her excitement she’d burned the flower up. She swore under her breath and waited for the children to bring her another. 

“It is not enough to get it. Work on stamina. It will be necessary for you to hold your barrier in place for weeks at a time.” 

She sighed, but didn’t disagree. 

~*~

A week later, she’d begun to seperate herself from the group, lagging behind to work on incasing herself in a larger barrier. She’d managed to figure out how to control the intensity of the layer of spiritual energy around her, now it was about conjuring a barrier large enough to keep her scent to herself. 

“Sesshoumaru, is it possible for the barrier to be only around me? Like, is it possible to make a barrier wearable like clothing?” She asked as she began the process of making an oval.

“Is it possible for Naraku to?” 

She lost focus and stared at him, a flare of injudiciousness striking her.

“Right... I guess I never really thought of it that hard before. He does have a strong miasma on him at all times, and he has a barrier that he literally opens and closes at will to let it out, along with saimyosho.” She smacked her forehead feeling stupid. “Why didn’t I think of any of this?”

“Most holy men and women do not think to equate their powers to that of demons. If a demon can do it...” He left the statement open for interpretation. She nodded and went back to working on her barriers. 

~*~

It was an odd sensation when the barrier the priestess had begun working on was flashing her scent. One moment, the air would be clear and open with basic scents. Another, he would scent the priestess’ light flowery scent. Naturally her musk didn’t have the flower scent, but he noticed she had a stronger perfumed scent after she bathed. On the fourth day of her training they had halted for a touch to assist a local shrine, rededicating it and cleansing it. They developed a small camp on the outside of the village to make everyone comfortable. He took her to the edge of the camp and continued chaperoning her training. 

There was a medley of stumps on the edge of a clearing where a smaller shrine had been built on a large stump that was at the center of the trees. He’d chosen this spot to benefit the little shrine, which was now being washed with waves of purity as the priestess worked on maintaning larger barriers. There was a particularly comfortable stump he settled on to watch the miko fight with herself. It was there he sat for another hour, watching her waste her energy and power, seemingly unconcerned she would reach the bottom of the wealth she had. Sesshoumaru was curious what the limit of her power was. Occasionally he could feel the heat of the waves of purity being registered. It felt a little odd, but almost like a pleasant tingling that snapped with warmth when the barrier popped under a sudden waver in concentration that spiked the intensity of her aura. 

“Perhaps, miko...” He drawled as she swore again under her breath in frustration. “There should not be a focus on bigger, but better. You do not need a giant barrier. You require a small barrier that covers a focused area. Particularly, your person.”

She stuck her hip to one side, jamming her knuckles into her hip in a flamboyant display of irk at his comment. Clearly confused, she frowned at him.

“Then how do I go about doing that? Because I don’t know what it feels like to make something like ... Something so close to the chest.” 

Sesshoumaru plucked at his discipline, burying a sardonic grin as he pushed off of his perch. The beast in him began to rumble with delight, whispering to him in growling tones and urging him to play with the miko. Nothing of his inner monologue showed as he stalked toward the priestess. She was sweating, her black hair sticking to her skin from the exertion, her scent was turning more natural the longer she practiced. It didn’t seem to occur to her that he was about to toy with her; though he could feel her guard hitch. 

“So... So explain it to me better.” She insisted, eyes now warily watching him. The priestess was wearing that damnable yellow slip of a skirt again. He kept learning more about her state of dress as they walked on, occasionally noticing even the slayer preferred some of the garments to traditional wear when she was washing her slayer uniform. He made a show of thinking about how to explain what she was asking him to, letting his index finger press against his lips as he considered...

“You will allow this Sesshoumaru to explain? Using something of yours?”

She cleared her throat, still confused but she nodded. Something curled around him, a new scent. His head twitched to one side as he inhaled deep and seemed to sigh in front of her. This was not the musk of her sweat, or the sweetness of her perfume. It was the lush sampling of a seedling of the priestess’ desire blossoming into arousal at his approach. His beast rolled in him. Sesshoumaru took liberty with her space, entering it like a shark sweeping into a feeding frenzy knowing it was the apex predator. 

“Take your skirt as an example. We do not know the name of this fabric, but its nature is that of which you seek.” He dropped to one knee before taking two edges of it with both hands, and pulling it taught. Eyeing her, he saw her throat take another hitched breath as he moved his hands to press the fabric over the skin of her thigh.  
“Do you feel the fabric, priestess?” He murmured. She gazed at him, her lips beginning to part. He could hear the soft falls of her breath as she absently nodded. “This is how your barrier should feel.” Her thigh had moved toward him unwittingly, and he rewarded her with the faintest smirk. He pulled the fabric up again just a tiny hitch and dropped it, letting it fall in whisper over her skin. “Like petals on your skin. Delicate, comforting, trusted. Allow pure energy to fall on you like this fabric.”

Sesshoumaru rose before her again, this time letting one claw graze her skin as it pulled her skirt up unintentionally before pulling away and falling back to his original seat. 

“Shall we try again..?” He challenged, one brow raised. “Or are you spent?”

In a surprising turn of mood, her arousal seemed to drift away and he could sense anger in her again. If Sesshoumaru were the kind to show mirth, he would have laughed at her annoyance with him.

“I think we could both use some time to cool down.” She answered, but this time she stretched up as far as she could showing more of the skin of her thighs and stomach before she spun to head back for the camp. Sesshoumaru moved quickly to follow before the hit the bustle of the camp. As he passed her, his claws grazed the still exposed skin of her side. It made her jump and nearly trip, giving him more excuse to touch her as he caught her hips in his hands.

“Perhaps you are right. It appears you are in need of relaxation.” He teased quietly. “Let us know if perhaps there are changes we can make to your training to assist you.”

And there it was, that lick-able scent. Her arousal was just as delicious as the purity of the blood she leaked during her cycle. He released her with a small push of his hand to her backside toward the campsite, where children were arguing about questions they had for Kagome. She stumbled forward, shooting him a double take before being swarmed by the children, who hounded her for the answer to a question in the math books they were learning from. 

It took her a few moments to collect herself, but soon she was being led away from his person and to the blankets that had been spread out for them to study on. Sesshoumaru went to his corner of the camp, and continued to eye her from where he settled. Every now and again, she would look up and see him watching, and he observed a small shudder. It wasn’t something he was even arguing with himself about anymore. That alone told him he was coming up on a time where he would need to either seduce the priestess and get this tension out, or find a female willing to take the brunt of the punishment for the need that was building in him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated. This series is sans-beta, and will be corrected as issues are found. We hope you enjoyed!


	5. Mauvais Parfum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> * Mauvais Parfum - French - Bad perfume, scent.

Kagome watched him from where she sat with Rin and Shippou.  
“Is everything okay, Kagome? The fox kit asked her. She’d been distracted in the children’s teaching as the evening had progressed, and she couldn’t help it.  
“Don’t worry about anything, Shippou. I’m just tired from training a lot today.” She smiled at him and ruffled his adorable ears. Once she had assuaged his fears, she went back to her musings. It was only a couple of times, and the thing that clinched what he was doing was when both of his large hands had steadied her hips. He could have gone much higher up, she was sure. He could’ve grabbed her arm to steady her, put a palm to her back. No, the demon had grasped her hips. It wasn’t a solid hold, but just as light and barely there as the rest of his teasings.

The first inkling she had was when he asked to touch her; in not so many words, but somehow she knew when she agreed to allow him to use anything of hers to teach her, she was making a deal with a demon. She just hadn’t expected it to affect her so.. Vigorously. Thinking about it again put a pause in her breath, pulling a warmth through her she didn’t count on. Even now, she could feel when his eyes would land on her. She glanced back over him. He was thinking hard on something, even if his face was a blank mask. 

‘That smirk though...’

Sweet bajeebles, she was losing her mind. Somehow, even if she wanted to think of him in the nude doing unspeakable acts, like ruining her for another man, she had doubts still he would be receptive to such a thing. Kagome also knew she was coming up to the time of her period, which was maybe only a week and a half away. Ansatsu had mentioned that there was a fertile period before her cycle began. She briefly considered messing with the taiyoukai, just as he had been her... but she wasn’t sure how that would go. The finer difference between allowing him to flirt with her was that she wasn’t sure her purification power would completely obliterate a taiyoukai. She simply hadn’t even accomplished that level of fury before. 

If she instigated, there may be no turning back. At least she could reject the demon’s advances and had a fall back in her friends should he get too fresh. She wasn’t worried about that though. What did worry her was what the hanyou at the brothel had said. Her thighs moved together even as his hooded gaze met hers. It was like he could hear what she was thinking and intended to taunt her with the very real possibility of ruining her. Somehow, it wasn’t him getting physically angry with her that was the concern - it was that he had it in him to seduce her. And the way he was beginning to torment her, she had no doubt he’d be able to. 

Gold flashed in the fire light, and she tugged her skirt down as far as it would cover safely. How long would she be able to resist his gentle goading?

~*~

The morning light brought Kagome salvation from some of the finest dirty dreams she’d had in at least two years. Unfortunately it seemed as though it was going to be out of the pan and into the fire - the demon lord had waited a full hour into travel before he began to push her to start her training again. He wasn’t nearly as far away as he was in days before, and it unnerved her. She was still clearly struggling with size, shape, and holding the barrier. That, and the fact she was walking at a pace trying not to fall too far behind while she held the barrier. They were walking along halfway into the day when she was sure she had it. 

Kagome knew it was a mistake to employ a tactic like this; but the last few times she had managed to make a barrier that was skin tight, was when she imagined that floating set of claws over her skin. It felt right - that light prickling sensation, but all over her skin. It felt so right, she would let it build and eventually, because of the nature of her feeling it would become too much for her and it would dissipate in a cloud of frustrated cursing. She knew the wetness that had started gathering in her nethers was because of the way she was calling upon her barrier. Sesshoumaru looked a little too pleased with her progress, but had made no move to touch her. 

She started again, taking a deep breath.. Everything around her blurred as she pushed her focus into that feeling. A thousand tiny claws, clean and white like his, drew hazy patterns over her skin. She began to pant, her arms coming up around her as she tried to physically manifest and stretch the barrier up around her like a leotard. The barrier started at her feet, pooling upward over her calves, her knees and thighs. When it hit her hips something unexpected happened. 

Kagome choked back a moan just enough that it sounded more like a strangled cry of pain. The barrier continued to move upwards to encase her, but that tingling all over her body enveloped her in the most blissful kind of pleasure, it was hard not to sigh and coo at how it made her feel. She swallowed, stopping where she was. It was rough not to drop the barrier, because of what it was doing to her, but she didn’t want to throw her progress away. She desperately held onto it, and the pleasure continued to grow.

A pair of hands on her shoulder brought her back to the real world and she almost lost control of the barrier again, but claws pricking into her forearms intensified the pleasure she was feeling. The demon behind her leaned over her shoulder.  
“Well done, priestess. This Sesshoumaru can no longer scent you, and the barrier is low enough energy we would not immediately sense you.” He murmured. She felt him pause. “We can feel your breathing and hear your heart. Are you feeling well, priestess?”  
She slowly looked over her shoulder, hoping she would be able to hide her arousal.  
“I’m fine.” She answered breathily. His hands released her, and he smirked again at her.  
“Very good. We will leave you to your practice.” He moved past her in a noiseless glide.

Kagome, now alone and far enough back she was not concerned about the rest of her group noticing, panted like she’d run a marathon. She struggled with the barrier for another moment before she let it drop. She moaned, low and long, at the loss of sensation and her legs nearly gave out under her. It took her a few more moments to regain her bearings, and when she did, she looked around before snatching at her bag. She grabbed a spare set of panties and after a cursory glance, she shed the ones she’d been wearing. They were soaked through and she had no desire explaining what had just happened. She quickly donned the new pair under her blue denim skirt and put on a pair of bicycle shorts she’d brought for posterity. The old underwear she crumpled up and threw as far as she could into the brush before jogging to catch up with the group. 

~*~

It was like being hit and trampled by a herd of wild stallions. Sesshoumaru was glad to be at the back of the pack, because when Kagome finally released her barrier, he caught the edges of the scent like the most delicious explosion he’d ever had the pleasure witnessing. He gasped through his mouth, and quickly shut it, nose flaring, and beast roaring. On top of the clear arousal she’d been fighting every time she worked her barrier up, her reproductive cycle had begun again. It was the fertile week of her cycle; the second her barrier dropped, there was no way even Inuyasha couldn’t smell it. The kit was too young to know exactly what it was, but he would be able to smell it as well.

When he looked back, he saw the priestess dispose of something in the bushes before running for the group. She was bright red, still smelling of everything a demon found appealing. He meant to follow, but was curious as to what she had thrown. Tracing her steps back, he realized what it was when he fished a small scrap of white cloth out of the bushes. Disgust filled him when his beast insisted, no, demanded that Sesshoumaru press the cloth to his nose and take a deep breath. His member twitched, filling with blood. Kagome, the Shikon Priestess had cum in these panties and thrown them to get rid of the scent. A deep frightening sound filled the air as Sesshoumaru chuckled. He folded the small scrap of cloth into a small ball, and tucked them in a small pouch he kept on his person for gold and other trinkets.

The restraint he’d been holding in an iron grip was shaking. It was about to break under the pressure of saving his reputation for being the fiercest demon in all of Japan; and somehow, he felt a demon bedding the Shikon Priestess was not so much of a demotion, but something to have pride in. He noticed the girl had managed to keep her cool until he touched her. A mere touch had unraveled her control on her body. The barrier had stayed in place, but her heart started beating like a frightened rabbit - he could see her pulse in her throat and hear sounds he knew to be feminine release, even if the priestess didn’t realize that was what had happened.

He was coming up to the group when he had another realization. Demons never had this strong a reaction to their barriers, even the new ones. He knew from experience that a barrier generally didn’t have much of a feel to it. What exactly was happening to the priestess when she erected her barrier? Perhaps there was a physical side to the barrier that was unseen by demon eyes. He’d been operating on assumption, and it had been working, but for the little priestess to have such a savagely delicious reaction to the training gave him pause. Perhaps it was time to find another priestess who specialized in barriers. It would be faster for him to go alone.

He kept to himself for the rest of the day until they settled in the evening. Kagome had begun her lessons with the children when he spoke with Jaken.  
“We are leaving for a day or so. Protect Rin.”   
Jaken bowed.  
“Yes My Lord Sesshoumaru! Eh... May we ask where you intend to be, my lord?”  
He kicked the frog once and moved to speak with Kagome.  
“This Sesshoumaru needs to inquire about your barrier with another priestess. We believe we should find the priestess before we bring the entire group. Time is of the essence. You’ve already begun your cycle.”   
Kagome’s cheeks darkened in the firelight but she nodded.   
“I’ll let the others know. I’m sure we’ll see you soon.”   
Sesshoumaru turned and walked out of the camp, determined.

The search for the desired individual took most of the night. Waking people at odd hours generally tended to incite panic and quick action to return to a state of blissful sleep, especially in humans. Dawn was breaking by the time his black boots touched the stone of the entrance of a shrine specializing in barriers. It was small, but grand, built into the side of a mountain. The entrance was clearly kept in pristine condition, recently painted red and the stone of its steps scrubbed. Sesshoumaru lifted his nose in the air, searching for a sign anyone was outside the barrier that had been erected around the shrine. He put the pad of his fingertip on the barrier, and his finger pad hissed and popped as it began to burn. All completely pure energy. He removed his finger from the barrier and began removing his armor slowly, then his swords and at last his haori. 

Sesshoumaru even went so far as to remove his shoes and tabi, an insistence he was not a danger to them, though surely through knowledge they knew of his conquests and would never consider him not a threat. Hopefully, his nudity would inspire at the very least curiosity as to why, and the would ask questions. He settled into a meditation pose and began what he was sure would be a long wait. 

~*~

Kagome had finished lessons early in the evening and chosen to bed down early. Soon after Sesshoumaru had departed, anxiety began to flood her. She tried to keep a lid on it, but her nervousness leaked into her teaching. She gave the children a small dessert and sent them off to bed as well. With Sesshoumaru’s warning, she couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching her as she curled into herself to sleep.   
“Inuyasha?” 

His white ears swiveled around to her and he glanced over.

“Yeah Kagome?”

“Would you mind...” She paused, wondering if it was a good idea asking any demon nose to stay near her.. “Would you mind watching over me while I sleep? I don’t know why but.. Something just doesn’t feel right.”

Inuyasha snorted but rose from his comfortable spot by the fire to settle in behind her, situating himself between her sleeping bag and the trees.

“Better?” 

She nodded. “Thank you, Inuyasha... I feel a bit better.”

He huffed again but closed is eyes, an encouraging sign that she should sleep. Yawning, she allowed herself to drift off.

~*~

In the morning, Kagome woke to the busy rustle of the campsite and laughing children. She looked behind her and saw Inuyasha had since woken and left to either hunt or take care of his business and Miroku was the one inciting children’s laughter, playing games with them as they hopped around the outside of the campsite. She stretched hard and smiled. Today was sure to be a great day.

Inuyasha arrived back with a basket full of freshly caught fish for breakfast. Sango and Kagome cleaned and cooked them, and once breakfast was over, bedrolls were put away and it was on to the next village. Jaken was both annoying and amusing to travel with - where Rin’s little made up tunes of her Lord’s greatness were adorable, Jaken’s were loud, raspy and crooning. To the poor frog’s credit, the passion was there, but it wasn’t until Inuyasha’ s well aimed rock smacking into the back of Jaken’s head things got interesting. 

He began chasing Inuyasha around with his staff, threatening all kinds of ill-intent while Rin laughed and Shippou stirred the pot with his fox magic. Barely noon, and already everyone was highspirited and happy. The village the arrived at requested help with the vanishing of children as well as live stock in the last few months. 

“We find nothing - and we’ve searched our forest a dozen times over. Please, please help find our missing children!” The village matriarch pleaded. Kagome took the aging woman’s hands and tried her best to allay the woman’s fears.  
“We’ll look and see what we can find. Sango is out looking for traces of animals or demons. She’s the best hunter in Japan.” 

The woman seemed to be pacified for the moment and she returned to the monk and the kids. 

“Has Sango or Inuyasha returned yet?” She asked Miroku. He shook his head.  
“Not yet, but so far all of us are convinced its demonic in nature. Based on the age of the children, we’re pretty sure its been eating them or abducting them. We are hoping it is only abduction.” He sighed. “I don’t like coming home without missing children with things like this.”

Kagome nodded in agreement. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get them back.”

She decided to resume practicing her barriers until the scouting was finished.

When Inuyasha and Sango returned an hour later, they were sweaty and tired.

“Its out there, we just don’t know what it is!” Sango said, peeling her mask back as she took gulps of air. 

“Smells pretty foul too.” Inuyasha added. “We didn’t find it, but we found a couple of promising trails that lead up to the mountain side, into the cliffs. I bet we’ll probably find something if we search those cliffs.” 

“Kirara will stay and watch the kids... I don’t want to leave them alone though.” Kagome worried. “Maybe Miroku could stay with them while we go up and look?”

“I would be honored to take care of the children.” Miroku acquiesced. “But perhaps it would be wise to wait until tomorrow. If there is something up there, they’re going to know you were there if you stay out too long. It would be best to preserve the element of surprise.”

Inuyasha’s mouth puckered in displeasure, but he didn’t disagree, and Sango was tired enough to agree with Miroku as well.   
“I’ll go and talk to the matriarch of the village to see about lodgings.” Miroku said softly, moving towards her hut. The group hung around the entrance of the village until Miroku returned and guided them towards an empty hut that had been offered while the hunted the monster responsible for the village’s unrest. Kagome went with Kirara to start gathering firewood while Inuyasha hunted in the forest just beyond her. 

The sun had started to set and every crack of a branch made Kagome jump. Kirara seemed to take notice and the big cat bumped her head against Kagome’s hand to reassure her. Kagome smiled at the cat and bent down to pick up more sticks for the fire. She continued on for about an hour when an eery feeling creeped up on her. She looked to Kirara for reference, but the cat seemed to pay no mind to her and was simply waiting for the signal to leave. Swallowing her fears, feeling silly she continued gathering wood. Quiet had descended on the woods and she was nearly finished when a particularly loud crack of wood jerk her attention from the ground. This time Kirara stiffened and her hackles rose. The cat hissed in the same direction Kagome was staring.

“Priestess.... Are you the smell we have been catching tempting flares of?” The voice was smooth and silky, coming from a pair of glowing blue eyes at the edge of the woods. The orange of the sunset back lit the demon’s frame, but didn’t give her any kind of reference for how large it was. “So delicious... its been distracting us from our meals all day...”

Kagome felt a chill she’d only felt when she stared at Sesshoumaru when he was angry. Dread knotted in her stomach as she felt herself crouching back toward Kirara. The demon made no move, and the only threat was that which she assumed. She stayed quiet, and pulled on Kirara’s fur to move back with her towards the village.

“You may leave... but do not think you are not under our visage, little priestess.” A dark chuckled floated towards her as those blazing blue eyes narrowed on her. “You should run now, before our restraint gives way to desire.”

“Lets go Kirara..” She whispered, hopping on the demon cat’s back. It took seconds to fly back to the village, and Kagome shook as she entered the hut, fleeing to the corner and hugging her knees to her chest. Sango frowned from the hearth.  
“Whats wrong Kagome?” She moved to kneel beside her. “What happened?”

“Pretty sure I saw the demon thats in the woods... This isn’t a normal fight.” She shivered, still seeing those blazing blue eyes. “Whatever that demon is, it is eating whatever is disappearing. And its toying with me. It knows we’re here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated and enjoyed. Remember, the series is sans-beta, but we are using a word processor to correct mistakes faster. Thank you for the read!


	6. The History of the Scent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning - Context revolving around Rape  
> ~*~

Sesshoumaru felt the sun set on his shoulders. His eyes hadn’t opened since he had begun meditation in the morning, and he hadn’t moved when he’d sense the presence of another being. He could tell someone had begun playing with some of his things before retreating to the barrier. A breeze picked his hair up and danced in it, and if he’d been one for sleeping, it would be a perfect time to do so. The air around him began cooling, and if it weren’t for how heightened his senses were during meditation, he may not have noticed the cool hand on his shoulder. The audacity of these humans...

He unleashed a tendril of youki to play with the creature behind him. A feminine gasp sounded and the hand moved. He rose and turned, opening his eyes to glare down on woman, who in her rush to get away had fallen and was now pulling herself backwards, away from the taiyoukai. 

“Fear not. We are not here for blood on this day.”

The woman’s face twisted into panic. “Then what do you want, Lord Guardian of the Western Lands of Japan?! You come and settle on holy steps where holy men and women alike come to refresh their spirits! Why?”

“We come for information. That is all.” 

“What kind of information?”

“We have a priestess traveling with our ward who does not understand how barriers work.” 

The woman stared at him, unsure of how to process what he was giving him. He could smell the indecisiveness on her. 

“It is to protect the innocent, we come searching for information. Only the best for us, and the same for those under his protection.”

The woman had since calmed and was not as defensive, but she did not accept the hand he offered to help her rise. Instead, she got up slowly and skirted around him towards the barrier.   
“I will consult my sisters and we will determine amongst ourselves whether or not it is worth sharing this information with you. You say she is learning of barriers, yes? Does she know anything at all, or is she completely fresh to them.”

Sesshoumaru’s hand clenched and unclenched. 

“She.. has begun to learn but had an odd reaction we wish to inquire on. To better teach.” 

The woman seemed to find mirth in this admission.  
“You are teaching the priestess to raise a barrier?” She laughed. “We will consult the sisters of the shrine. I will be back soon to let you know of our answer.”

With that the woman backed into the barrier and disappeared behind its protection. He stared after the shimmering blank spot for a long moment before sitting again in meditation beside his discarded armor. He didn’t feel time pass as he waited for his answer, contemplating his action should the sisters of the shrine say no. It wasn’t impossible to throw this barrier to the winds, he’d done it with his sword on lesser places. But this was not a place he wished to wreck havoc on. The balance of spiritual purity and demonic energy was not something he wished to disrupt here. It was why he had chosen a more peaceable approach. This time.

It was the black of the morning when he heard footsteps land before him and the brief flicker of an older woman’s scent had him opening his eyes. He looked up to see an elderly priestess, her wizened old hands clasped before her. She had her long buttocks length hair tied back and was very nearly blind in both eyes.

“Young pup, you come here for odd information at strange hours. You never seemed the sort to ask questions, let alone meditate waiting for answers. Who is the priestess that travels with demons and teaches their ward?” She asked, a lilt of humor in her voice. 

“The Shikon Priestess travels with a hanyou, slayer, monk and two demons searching for the shards across Japan. The hanyou is... ” Sesshoumaru could not hide the distaste from his voice. “Related to this Lord Sesshoumaru by patriarch. We find the Shikon priestess the proper tutor for our ward. She is learning to erect a barrier around her person due to the delicate nature of her menstrual cycle, as most priestesses do...” 

The old woman studied him hard, showing nothing, not even in scent. He pondered if perhaps she had donned her own barrier to hide her scent. 

“She is learning from us.”

That inspired the old woman to laugh. “You?” She chuckled again and moved to kneel in a sitting position before the dog demon, half of her still touching the barrier. “Its not a wonder she may be having problems. Most priestesses when they learn of barriers come to a place of prayer and meditation. I doubt she is praying much in your presence, handsome Lord.”

Sesshoumaru’s brow quirked at her, which made her laugh again. 

“Do not take me for some fuddy duddy, Lord Guardian of the West. We remember you as a young woman. You’re the reason one of us turned to priesthood.” 

Her revelation gave him pause. Sesshoumaru knew during some of his younger days he struggled with control over his beast. It took fifty years after puberty for him to reach any semblance of unity with the monster that ravaged through him when he ignored his natural needs. There were some ruts he didn’t remember as a younger demon, and many bouts of carnage that left his body covered in warm blood he didn’t remember. Armies had been slaughtered to his beast and their agreed love of murder and death. A hundred years ago didn’t make him young, but occasionally he still had times where women and blood escaped the need for his memory and stretched into a vast wasteland of forgotten faces he had no need to remember. He searched his memories for her, unable to find her in the sea of blood. He tilted his head and looked harder at the old woman. Even twenty years younger he could see she would have been a fair woman and he wondered.

“I won’t pass names nor will I condemn myself to your lesser self’s carnal nature of the time, but word does travel of your prowess. I can only commend you for reigning in your lesser half and learning discipline. Now. As far as your questions go, you may ask me, and I will try to answer what I can.”

“Very well. The priestess managed a barrier around her person, much like you are donning now. However she had... An unexpected reaction.”   
The woman frowned.  
“Explain. When a barrier is erected, what does a priestess feel physically?” He inquired.  
She took a deep breath before answering.  
“Barriers are not the ultimate expression of a priestess’ purity, but it is an extension of her power that is meant to comfort. For those priestess’ that manage their power through emotion, sometimes it can’t be generated through a normal means. Is this young woman more emotional than most?”  
Sessoumaru snorted in response.  
“I see. When trained properly, a priestess will be able to work her purity through prayer, and the subsistence of her barrier will be based on the prayer she doesn’t speak, but seals in her heart. These prayers are taught in repetition over time, and most priestesses know and can recite them by memory after three years of constant training.” The older woman explained.   
“Like a Monk with sutras and meditation, so a priestess is with her prayers. Now when you have a priestess who has spiritual powers but was never introduced to a shrine for training, most of her power will be accessible through intense emotion if she doesn’t have prayer. In most of the young women I’ve seen come late in life to the shrine for training, there is a fierceness in these women that lead them most often to the battle field, where they summon their powers out of a deep desire to protect the weak and the innocent.”

This all made sense to the demon lord as he listened to the old priestess. All of these pointed back to how the priestess summoned her power.

“When it comes to the finer points of calling forth their power, sometimes things get lost in translation for its summoning. Priestesses who have spent their entire lives being trained to purify in a shrine or a temple will not have the same affinity for battle that those who learned outside of a shrine. They will be able to call barriers with prayer and purify by merely touching something at their whim; this is their strength. Those who learned outside will need powerful emotion or strong will to call upon such powers; depending on what the priestess you speak of equates as protection or touch, she will call her barrier this way. Outside influences can help her call upon her powers. Depending on what you taught her and how, she may equate this to how to call upon the barrier.”

The old woman paused. 

“How did you train her, demon?”  
Her question was met with silence as Sesshoumaru considered what she’d said. He never worried about anything, but now he had cause for concern. Sesshoumaru remembered the look on her face when he had been toying with her skirt, teaching her. There was indeed a passion in her eyes, the way she looked down at him. Then it dawned on him, as the light came up through the trees from the darkness of midmorning. 

“Priestess... Of the women you spoke of, tell this Sesshoumaru. Which of you were ravaged by us?” He asked. The woman’s eyes narrowed. 

“Why ask such a thing?”

“Answer. It has to do with the miko.”   
The old priestess frowned at him, but gathered herself. He knew in that moment who it was, felt the defense rise in her.  
“It was you, old woman?”

She observed him somberly, but nodded slowly. “It was indeed I.”  
Sesshoumaru sighed deeply. 

“Would it be beyond you to answer more questions of a personal nature?”  
Her gaze turned to one of a sardonic nature.  
“It depends upon whether or not you deserve the answer, demon.”   
Sesshoumaru smirked at the woman’s spunk. Audacious and rude, but he would allow it.   
“Tell us; what was your decision to the priesthood? Was it what happened to you?” 

The woman hesitantly nodded.

“I was a young woman then. It had to be about fifty years ago, and I barely to my twentieth year when you came upon me.” She said quietly. There was not a single shake in her hands, her voice. Her entire body was one of resolution. One whom had accepted every inch of what happened to her. “I hadn’t married, still a virgin. I had left home to learn from a potter about new techniques to use, and how to make my own living out of clay. Men had never interested me. I had been traveling and was about to make camp when a demon found me in the night. He had golden eyes, and positively bled with charm.”

She paused, now watching him intensely. “He warned me of what would happen if I resisted, that it would be better to allow my seduction. I didn’t want to be killed, so I did as I was told. The demon was kind enough not to rape me on the roadside; he’d had a castle somewhere in the western lands that he whisked me away to.”

Sesshoumaru stayed silent through her story, meeting her with his own golden gaze.

“It was dream-like. I was attended to by some of the oddest demons I’d ever seen, bathed and sent to bed. The demon that had stolen me away entered, brash and not entirely himself. His eyes were no longer gold, they were red. He didn’t attack me... Not completely anyway. He was rough, almost angry, but he never allowed for himself to finish before he’d made me...”   
When she paused he could now see the embarrassment on her face as she spoke of that night.

“It was never rape. There was always consent. I don’t know how the demon managed his seduction, but he did. This process was repeated over and over for how long, I don’t remember. It could have been an hour, it could have been two weeks. The demon never came into the room when his eyes were gold; only red. On the last bought of time he spent with me I remember his eyes flooded with gold when he reached his climax finally. It wasn’t long after I was bathed and cleansed of any remainder of the demon’s seed, dressed in my old clothes and given a pouch of gold pieces for my troubles. I don’t remember how I came back to the road I had been on, but when I approached the village I was meant to learn from, nothing felt right anymore. I sought out the sisters in these mountains and was given the privacy to heal at my leisure. I donated the gold to the shrine and learned from the priestesses and monks here, and never looked back on my life thereafter.” She paused, eying him with one raised brow. “Until now, that is. By the very demon who laid claim on me all those years ago. Surely, I’m not the same maiden you took all those years ago, but you are not easily forgotten.”

“We offer no apology for those actions.” He rumbled. The old woman smiled at him. 

“I will always prefer love to war. If my body meant an army survived your carnage, I would do it again, Guardian of the West.” She answered knowingly, clearly aware of his reputation.

Sesshoumaru brought one hand to the priestess’ chin, and he could see the remnants of a beauty long forgotten. He absently swiped his thumb over her bottom lip and saw her tremble at his touch.   
“We may have made a mistake with this priestess.” He said softly, dropping his hand. “When teaching her of barriers, we may have inadvertently turned her thoughts to more of a carnal nature.”  
The old woman laughed long and hard, waving him off.  
“The poor girl. What on earth happened to bring you to our step with the barrier? Did she accidentally purify something she wasn’t meant to?”   
Sesshoumaru shook his head.   
“No. Something a little more..” He grinned at her, “Affectionate. We believe the miko had a climax when the barrier was in place. We couldn’t smell when it happened, as the barrier was already fully encasing the miko, but when she dropped the barrier it was clear what had happened. We could smell it then.”   
The priestess looked mildly concerned. “And you think your interference in her training has caused this problem with her barriers?”  
Sesshoumaru raised a cool brow.  
“Why exactly did she request your help with the barrier in the first place, Western Lord?”  
“She did not. We decided to intervene when her cycle became a problem for us. She is involved in our ward, and her companions...” He paused. The traveling companions couldn’t take him; but Inuyasha and his rage was always wildly unanticipate-able . He wasn’t sure what would happen should he rape the miko in a fit of beastial instinct. Hell, he wasn’t sure he would survive the rape based on how the depth of the miko’s power. “We believed we were protecting her from ourselves. Now we may have created a larger problem.”

The priestess’ lips puckered as she contemplated the answers to his musings.

“You may have done the opposite of what you intended, Demon Lord. If you were involved in her physical need, she will call upon it every time she creates the barrier for her cycle. The scent she will give if she can’t keep it up during this time... May incidentally cause you to go for her even sooner.” The woman sighed hard. “You should have brought her to us to train her. I do not know that this is something that can be reversed.” 

Sesshoumaru leaned to pick up his garb and began dressing. He had a priestess to retrieve.   
“We will bring her for you to attempt to do this. Consider your shrine under the protection of the Western Lord.” 

Once his swords were in place, he fished gold pieces from the pouch he’d housed the miko’s used panties, and took the old womans hands, helping her stand. He opened them, claws gentle with the paper thin skin and pressed the gold into them.

“You have this one’s thanks for the information. We will be back with the priestess’ pack, so you may reverse the damage we have done. Until then, should anything happen, we have a vassal that will stay on the outskirts here that will deliver a message directly to this Sesshoumaru should you need assistance before then. Be warned - by us declaring you under our protection, it may draw demons from the northern tribes to bring ruin on you in an act of aggression, thinking we are coming for the land. Assure them we are not, and give them some of this gold in good faith.”  
He turned and began his walk down the carved steps towards the forest.

“Take care, Itsuka.”

He could hear the woman gasp and the barrier she had held while she spoke with him cracked. The scent was exactly as he remembered. Pure, savory, bliss. Apparently, Sesshoumaru had a preference on females based on scent. He would leave word with one of his men to guard the sanctuary and call upon him if anything should happen in his absence. There was no telling when he could get Inuyasha’s pack to the temple, and he didn’t count on them making it this far to the north for at least a week. 

Plans settled, the Western Lord spirited away towards where he’d last left the pack.

~*~

Kagome and friends had risen for the day and had made a plan of attack. Kirara and Miroku would stay behind and protect the children while Inuyasha would stay close to Kagome and the slayer. Inuyasha didn’t approve of using Kagome as bait, but what she had said made them think perhaps she could serve as a distraction as they searched for the missing children. With that being decided, they set off where Kagome had seen the demon. 

They worked their way through the forest until coming to a cliff wall that towered over the forest floor. Kagome searched the wall, pushing her spiritual senses to search for the demon. 

“He has to be using a barrier, Inuyasha.” She muttered as he came to a stop beside her. “I’m trying to find that youki I felt last night and I’m not sensing it.”  
Inuyasha nodded in agreement. “I can’t smell any of the putrid scent I did yesterday while me an’ Sango searched. Its like it was never here.”   
Nothing felt right since they started searching. There was a silence that had descended on the forest that was unnatural. Crickets, birds, even the occasional crack of deer and lizards in the underbrush were all still.   
“This is bad. Something isn’t right, Inuyasha.” Fear rose through her like bile, sickly and acidic. “We should go back and get the whole group. We need Miroku and Kirara. Dare I say we even need Sesshoumaru for this if we can get him to help us with this.”

Inuyasha’s temper flared. “Now wait a minute, its weird but it ain’t anything I can’t handle.”

He had no sooner finished his sentence a flash of blue and white dropped between the two of them. Kagome cried out as a blonde haired demon’s boot slammed square into Inuyasha’s chest, sending the hanyou flying back through the forest and crashing through multiple trees. Sango released an enraged scream as she came to the demon’s back with hirakotsu, surprised when the demon moved in a flash to turn and grab the slayer’s weapon between two hands. He took the weapon and in one spin, sent it crashing back into the slayer’s chest. Sango cried out and fell back a few yards, coughing before she turned to her side and passed out.

The demon turned to face Kagome, no longer hiding his aura or scent. She could feel the barrier he had held burst and she was suddenly awash in powerful youki. The demon had short golden hair, something she’d never seen before. His eyes blazed a deep icy blue. He was dressed in a brilliant blue yabane patterned haori, with white hakama . The sleeves of his haori had been tied back with white silk bindings, showing thick arms that were unadorned with any other pattern.  
“Welcome back, little priestess. Did we not warn you to run?” Kagome felt the knot of dread she had yesterday tangle into more and her heart sank hard.   
“What do you want, demon?” She demanded, pulling an arrow from her quiver slowly. He began circling her, stalking around her.   
“You were the one we scented earlier. We can’t decide if you’d make a good meal, or a good fuck.” He chuckled, eyes bleeding that blue fire.   
“For your information, I’m chewy and inexperienced, so neither are a good fit.” She hissed, quickly knocking the arrow and covering it with purifying energy. Her presence cracked and hissed at the invading demonic aura that was testing her boundaries. He gave her a sharp, toothy grin.  
“You know inexperience goes away with practice, sis.”   
Disgust filled her and she loosed the arrow at his head. It flew through the air and the demon reached for it, grabbing it. He loosed a scream as he crushed it, hand flinching back and his aura going dark with his rage.   
“Cocky human bitch. Let us amend that.” He huffed, holding his violently burned hand. “Eating is too quick for you. We are going defile the purity of a priestess right out of you.”  
Terrified she pulled another arrow and ran in the opposite direction. When the arrow was ready, she turned to release it. She felt the hit before she saw it, and everything went dark. 

~*~

Sesshoumaru had managed to track the monk and children down, who had advised him of what they were hunting for. When he headed for the forest, he found the slayer and half-breed very much unconscious and could still smell the burning flesh from the priestess’ arrows. He took in a deep breath and frowned. It seemed that the Lord Guardian of the North was hunting for new prey and had settled here. He snarled and took off after the trail. If the Northern demon was the same brand of cocky he had been when he last ran across him, he didn’t have long before the priestess was raped and eaten. Owashi tended to prefer playing with his food before he ate it.

While children were tender meat and what he settled on, women were no exception. Particularly a tangy smelling priestess. He knew Kagome had gotten her shot in, but clearly it was not enough to deter the hawk demon. Sesshoumaru scaled the cliff until he came to the entrance of a grand carved cave that led into the mountain and upwards. There was a demonic barrier in place he made short work of, and the scent of the priestess lingered in its hallways. He dismissed his relief as quickly as it came when the scent proved she was still in tact. The stairway wound upwards until it broke through the top of the cliff. A manor had been dug out in its own canyon, where the priestess’ scent got thicker. 

His beast growled. Sesshoumaru could feel it taking this abduction as a challenge to his power and rage flowed through him like a hot geyser. He let his presence be known, unleashing what he normally kept in check to avoid any unnecessary conflict. The hawk responded in kind, hotly declaring his territory. It wasn’t moments before the blonde haired, bird-brained, bag of feathers appeared before him in a rush of wind. His short blonde hair bristled, and he was shirtless, only in a pair of white haori that were stained with streaks of blood and indigo boots.  
“Lord of the West!” He crowed. “What brings you to our doors this fine day. We’re afraid you interrupted us mid-rut.”  
Sesshoumaru’s face twisted into a snarl. “That priestess belongs to us. You will return her at once.”  
The hawk tilted his head with a snide grin. “Since when did you bed humans, Lord of the West? We never took you to have a fetish for human cunt.”  
“Our practices are none of your accord!” Sesshoumaru boomed. “Return her.”  
The hawk pursed his lips but nodded.  
“Very well. As a nod to our relationship, We grant you this clemency. We were unaware you had dueness of her; there is no scent marker. We cannot guarantee she is completely in tact though; we were preparing her for our grandness before we felt your arrival. She managed to burn one of our hands and we were merely taking our pound of flesh.”  
Sesshoumaru’s claws clenched, drawing blood. Parliamentary favor demanded he not murder this feather-brain for his slight. There was no suitable heir to Owashi’s guardianship yet, and because there was no scent marker, there was no proof of a slight. Sesshoumaru stayed his hand.  
“Come with us, we will take you to it.”   
The walked through the small manor until they came upon a den nestled at the back. The priestess lay unconscious on a bed of furs, clothing in indecent disrepair. He could see blood between her legs running in a tiny, crusted rivulet between her thighs, scratches on her hips and the outside of her thighs where she had fought her attacker within the realms of her ability. The white tee she had worn was torn in half, long talon marks stretching over her chest and breasts which were still exposed. He moved forward and picked her up bridal style. If he didn’t have something in his hands, he would strangle the bird himself and enjoy watching him die. He turned on a heel and walked out of the manor. Revenge was best saved sated for another day.

Upon his arrival to the hut where the monk and children were staying, he demanded a covering from the monk for the miko. He seemed flustered by the priestess’ appearance but drew a blanket from the yellow sack the priestess usually carried with her. 

“Attend to her wounds. We take the cat with us to retrieve the others.”

It took a few minutes to find them again, both of them coming to slowly. The slayer crawled onto her cat’s back while Sesshoumaru heaved his half-brothers dead weight over his shoulder and returned to the village. The monk laid everyone out delicately, tending to their wounds before meeting with Sesshoumaru outside where he had insisted the children stay while he tended to everyone.  
“What was it, Lord Sesshoumaru?”  
“The Northern Lord Owashi. He has made this forest his hunting ground. There will be no exercising or slaying this demon. He runs the northern lands, and this is his preferred prey. If this village does not wish to have more children disappear, or women raped, it is this one’s suggestion they head south or west. North and eastern demons ruling in those areas are fond of human flesh and prefer it to animals. South abhors it, and seek to annihilate, and west seems to have garnered a reputation of mercy since our father.”   
The monk nodded and bowed.  
“I should speak with the matriarch of the village then...” the monk hesitated. “Kagome... Was she... Was she raped?”  
Sesshoumaru looked off towards Owashi’s den, blood running down his fingers as he agitated the wound by clenching his fist again.  
“We were able to halt it, but there were abuses. She will need to learn to live with what has happened.” He answered curtly. There was a shudder in the monk, a flare of coppery anger in the air.  
“Why didn’t you kill it, Lord Sesshoumaru...?” he ground through his teeth.   
Sesshoumaru’s eyes bled red as he turned on the monk, grabbing him by the lapels of his robe.   
“That is not for one so lowly as you to decide, monk. There are things beyond your comprehension at play this one has no patience to explain to the likes of you.” He threw the monk away from his person, not caring to help him out of the dirt. He headed back to the hut and stood guard while the children played outside. Once the miko and the rest of the pack were awake, he would need to speak to the priestess about a temporary fix to the problem that landed her where she was now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is sans-beta - Word processor is fixing most of my issues. Feedback is always appreciated; better writing is always the goal. Thank you for reading.


	7. Le Manteau Epais

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Le Manteau Epais - French - The Thick Coat  
> Trigger Warning - Contexts revolving around Rape.  
> Swearing.  
> ~*~

Kagome could barely move when she woke. The last thing she remembered was the blonde demon above her had cursed and paused in the midst of his attack. He hit her hard again and she’d blacked out for the second time in a day. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the hut at the village they were hunting for and she saw stars. Her head spun and she rolled to one side as she vomited. Once she had managed to overcome the nausea, she blinked and looked around her. Inuyasha sat in one corner, staring into the hearth that had been rekindled. Sango was sitting up, but had a bandage wrapped around her torso that barely hid the mass of bruises on her chest. Vaguely she was beginning to recall the details of what had happened. 

And she began shaking.

She remembered coming around the first time, and that she was on a pallet of furs. She remembered moving to leave the room, only to have the door burst open and the blue-eyed demon eye her lasciviously. When she’d called upon her power to purify him, he’d grabbed her hands and dangled her off the floor as he unbound his haori.  
“We are going to deflower you, and defile you in ways you are going to hate.” he’d growled in her ear. “And when we teach you to love your defilement, we are going to kill you slowly.”  
His hands... Were everywhere. Places she’d only ever shown accidentally or been bare privately. Kagome felt pain at her sides and she peeked under the blankets. Her white tee shirt had been shredded, her breasts bared. Her yellow skirt too had been shredded beyond recognition. She remembered the second she had started fighting, his talons had cut through her shirt, leaving red marks across her chest. He’d thrown her to the stone floor hard enough to jar her sight and leave her reeling. She had sensed as he moved between her thighs, grabbing them with those thick talons to keep her from moving to no avail. She remembered screaming as they jammed into her sides while she kicked desperately, crying. If not for whatever had interrupted his conquest, she would have been raped then and there. 

She shuddered, slowly pulling the blanket flush while she processed. Once again, she looked up over everyone in the room. Miroku and Inuyasha wouldn’t look at her. She sensed Sesshoumaru on the other side of the veil that was substitute for a door. Sango had just noticed her waking, and was moving slowly toward her.  
“Hey, Kagome...” She winced and coughed, but reached for her nonetheless. “Are you okay?”  
Kagome opened her mouth, she could feel herself try to smile to assure her.. And then it all faltered and she found herself crying, closing in on herself and wrapping her blanket around herself tighter. Inuyasha swore under his breath and all but ran for the door, Miroku close behind him.   
“Oh ‘gome... I’m... What can I do?” Sango rasped, wrapping her arms around Kagome.   
“Clothes...” She mumbled through her shaking. “I need clothes, bring me my clothes...”  
Sango nodded and grabbed for her yellow bag. Kagome quickly rooted through them, finding the bicycle shorts, pants, and long sleeved shirt. Sango helped her by lifting the blanket as a shield while she changed. Once Kagome had changed, she and Sango both stared at the ruined clothing on the floor.   
“Burn them. Please. I don’t want to touch them.” Kagome said quietly. Sango nodded and balled up the fabric, throwing them in the hearth’s fire.   
“Kagome, Sesshoumaru wants to talk to you about.. Some kind of solution. He thinks we should leave here, but...” Sango paused. “You should talk to him. Are you okay to be alone with him? Or do you need me to stay?”  
Kagome had steadied herself, feeling better with the change of clothes.   
“Sango, how did I get out of there? What happened?” She asked softly.   
Sango cleared her throat. “Apparently, the demon attacked us, and abducted you. Sesshoumaru got back just in time to follow your scent trail. We’d been gone for most of the day I guess, and he knew the demon that had taken you. He didn’t really say how, but I guess it involves some sort of demonic hierarchy. Said he’d arranged for your safe return, had interrupted the demon.”  
“Did he see?”   
It was so soft, she wasn’t sure Sango had heard her. She hadn’t even tried to reply for a long moment.   
“Sango did he see?!” She demanded this time, and Sango nodded.   
“Miroku said Sesshoumaru carried you inside in what you were wearing. The kids didn’t see.”   
Kagome stood, arms tight around her stomach.   
“Yeah. I can talk to him.” She finally said. Sango nodded and left the hut, sending Sesshoumaru in.

The taiyoukai’s presence spilled into the room like a comfortable warm bathe. At first she couldn’t look at him, but she also didn’t want appear weak in the wake of her abuse. She slowly brought her eyes to his and felt relief. There was not pity in his eyes. Only cool regard. Leave it to the Lord of the West to make something like that a blessing.   
“Apparently I owe you thanks for getting to me when you did. So... Thank you.”  
Sesshoumaru said nothing.  
“You’re awfully quiet for being the one to want to talk with me.”   
“Hn. This one wonders if you are prepared for the conversation.” He replied. One eyebrow raised. “We have measures that can be taken immediately to secure your safety. We have a measure that may take longer depending on travel. Are you prepared for your options?”  
Kagome nodded, sitting with her arms still wrapped around herself.  
“Option one?”  
“This Sesshoumaru can mark you in an intimate way temporarily that will deter other demons from attempting something like this again. There will be no rape or eating of any kind.” He answered smoothly. Kagome flinched.  
“Option two...?”   
“There is a shrine in the northern mountains. They are priestesses who specialize in barriers. We can begin traveling that way, but there is no room at the shrine for demons.” He paused. “Of any kind. Including the half breed and your kit.”  
His meaning sunk in quickly and she felt nausea rise up in her again.   
“Regardless, we will be heading into the territory of the demon whom attempted to rape you. Northern Lord Owashi. If word reaches him the priestess who burned his talon beyond recognition is traveling his territory unattached, he may attempt to abduct you again.”  
She shook and wretched at the idea.   
He waited for her to come back to the present, and when she did she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  
“What do you mean, intimately, Sesshoumaru.” She asked. He appraised her for a long moment.  
“Sex, priestess. You are coming to the end of your fertile cycle, soon to bleed. When you bleed, we can mark you with our scent. You will be untouchable until the scent wears off by the end of your cycle.”  
Kagome didn’t even realize she was moving, but the loud slap that resounded in the hut brought Sango and the boys running in. Sesshoumaru hadn’t even flinched when she slapped him, there had been no reaction of any kind. Him standing there, appraising her made her angry all over again and she reared back and slapped him again.   
“Don’t you dare ever suggest something like that again.” She hissed, tears gathering. Sesshoumaru continued to stay silent and still, but he eventually turned back toward the door.  
“However you feel, Kagome, our offer stands.” 

~*~

Her apprehension filled the hut the second he walked in to make his offers. It still needed to be done, even if he knew that at first, her emotions would cloud her decision. The last thing he expected was to be slapped across the face, not once but twice. Her rage was hot, smelling of copper. Watching the night pass while the rest of the pack stayed inside in a restless attempt to relax was long suffering. Rin had bedded down with Ah-Un, snuggled by Shippou. Both children knew something was wrong but their questions for him were met with silence. Eventually they had fallen asleep in the circle of Ah-Un’s comforting presence. 

When morning came, Inuyasha asked for a bearing and Sesshoumaru gave it. He followed the pack quietly, Jaken and Rin riding the two headed demon before him. Kagome had chosen to walk beside the fire cat, her hand buried in the yellow fur. She hadn’t attempted to raise the barrier once. Halfway through the day of travel, Miroku had encouraged the children to sing a few folk songs to lighten the mood. Rin and Shippou began to play and sing around the monk, bringing a smile to the slayer’s face. Even Inuyasha’ s mood had lightened a touch as Shippou challenged his authority, pulling silly childish pranks as they continued along.

Only the miko remained unchanged and deep in thought. She had dropped to the back of the pack and was only a few feet away. That delicious scent of her cycle still permeated the air around him. She winced and limped a touch. His nose noted blood, and not in the cycle sense.

“Priestess.”   
She flinched at her name but her stride paused.   
“You are bleeding.”  
Her head jerked up to look at him, then drifted down to her thighs, noticing the blood seeping through her jeans on both sides.   
“Did you not dress them before leaving?”   
She shook her head.  
“You have the dressings in your bag, yes?”  
She nodded.  
“We stop to dress the priestess’s wounds.” His voice boomed ahead. All of the pack members turned, and Sango came running.  
“Oh god, Kagome! You want me to...?”   
Kagome shook her head.   
“Sesshoumaru will help me dress them. He noticed it first and offered to help.”  
“The fuck he will -” Inuyasha began to protest. Miroku stopped him and shook his head.   
“Don’t.” Miroku warned the half-breed. It pleased him to see the pack beginning to warm to him.  
“Go on ahead with the kids. I need privacy to put the dressings on.” the priestess said quietly.   
“Are you sure Kagome?” the slayer asked. Kagome nodded and waited for them to move on.   
“We’ll be right up ahead. Just call, and we’ll come runnin’ , kay?” Inuyasha said brashly. 

Once the pack had moved far enough away, Kagome motioned for him to follow her towards the river that was running alongside the road they were traveling on. She pulled some larger patches from her bag and medical tape, as well as a small cloth to clean the wounds up. Collecting some water in a canteen, she handed it to him and flushed.   
“I’ll unbutton my jeans and pull them down far enough for you to clean up the wounds.”   
Sesshoumaru watched her fingers shake as she fumbled with the button she was trying to remove. It was clear she was struggling with the idea of removing her clothing, and this needed to be done.  
“Allow me, priestess.” She paused, eyeing him warily. He knelt before her, giving her no time to protest. Setting aside the canteen, his claws hooked the inside of the waist of her jeans and unbuttoned them carefully. He heard her let out a rush of a breath and when he looked up he saw fear in her eyes. It bothered him more than it should have.   
“Miko.” he called her attention to his face. “Watch us.”  
She swallowed, but her eyes never left his as he continued opening her jeans. He pushed them gently down her hips, and peeled them away from the deep marks on her thighs. He leaned forward, the scent of her blood stoking desire in him.   
“What are you - ” She started to protest but he held a finger to her lips, still leaning in. He called upon the poison he had and lavished the bloodied marks with his tongue. He could hear her pained mewls but a familiar scent curled around him. Using a hand to steady her hips, he savored her blood and sealed the wound with his acidic saliva. Once her left side was sealed, he moved to her right and almost stopped when he felt fingers curl into his hair. When he looked up, her head had dropped to one side, eyes darkening as they took him in. He didn’t break contact as he approached the wound on her right, making a show of his delight in her taste. Her brows furrowed in pain as he sealed them shut with his poison. His tongue washed the excess poison away and he was done... But she didn’t seem ready for him to stop. Sesshoumaru’s beast hummed in warning. They could discern her arousal building in a delicious tang he could lap at for days, and the way her hands had tugged on his scalp paired with the low moans she was trapping in the back of her throat was driving both he and his beast mad. Still, he pulled away and found the patches of cloth and tape she had pulled from her bag. While the skin was sealed, it was still delicate and needed to be protected from the roughness of her jeans.   
He knew she was still in a fragile state and chose not to push, no matter how much the monster inside him howled with petty irritation. He extricated her hands from him hair and pulled the bloodied jeans back up. 

“Your bleeding has stopped, and will stay stopped so long as you are careful not to rub the fresh marks raw. We will monitor your progress.”  
She searched his face as he stood, and reached out with one hand. He almost expected to be slapped again. Instead, she wiped something from his chin.  
“You still have a little dried blood...” She said softly. She licked her thumb and wiped the rest of it away with her saliva.   
His gut clenched and he moved quickly, pulling her into him as his mouth found hers in a deep, desperate kiss. She gasped into his lips and he swallowed it up, hungry for more; and she responded in kind, both of her hands back in his silver locks, pulling at him in desperation.   
Then she was pushing him away from her, and he could smell the salt of tears as she gathered into herself again, gulping down as much fresh air as she could. When she signaled she was ready to move on, he escorted her back up from the river bed to the road, staying far enough away, but close for her comfort. She made no move or said another word for the rest of the day, but his unspoken offer hung in the air like heavy perfume. 

~*~

“How much longer do we have to travel to this shrine?” Inuyasha griped.  
“On foot it will take another seven days. The time could be reduced to four days if we spent more time in the air, but flying holds risk in a hawk demon’s territory.” Sesshoumaru responded bleakly.   
Kagome had finally begun speaking to the children. More forcing herself since her interlude with Sesshoumaru that afternoon. They were clearly worried about her, and if not for Miroku’s distractions, they would have been somber all day along side of her. It wasn’t usually Miroku that kept them entertained - but he was stepping up in a big way, which Kagome deeply appreciated. Now, both kids had lollipops and were cheerfully discussing the best color for the flower on the same page of the coloring books they had been given, occasionally asking Kagome for her opinion.   
She could feel his eyes on her, and still wondered what the hell had possessed him to lick her wounds clean and burn them shut with that poisonous tongue of his. Not that she was complaining anymore. The confusing feelings swirling around in her pushed her to answer the question she had asked not even four days ago: How would she cope if it ever came to her rape. The answer did not comfort her.   
She looked up, shifting as she met his heated golden eyes.

_“However you feel, Kagome, our offer stands.”_

His deep timbre reverberated through her entire body. There was temptation to ask how, when, why. But part of her couldn’t grasp the courage to do so right away. It didn’t occur to her that something was wrong until a deep cramp called her attention.   
_‘Shit. Not again..’_ she moaned. Sesshoumaru shifted restlessly at the edge of the campsite, no longer looking at her. She could see him making a hard fist, releasing it and making that fist again. There was no other hint of his struggle, but he began to walk away from the site. She excused herself from the kids and followed him, sure that it was a terrible idea.

He looked as though he were about to launch into the sky when she called to him.

“Lord Sesshoumaru.” 

He turned to her, almost surprised in his body language as he paused and faced her.

“Priestess?” He gritted. 

“You can tell, can’t you?” She asked softly. 

“Kagome?” Sango called after her. “Are you okay?”

Kagome looked over her should and nodded. “I’m fine, Sango. Just needed a moment with Sesshoumaru about something he mentioned yesterday in private. We’ll be back in a bit after we talk, okay?”  
Sango nodded and reminded her to call if she needed anything. Sesshoumaru hadn’t budged from the spot he’d stopped, and once Sango was out of earshot, a low growl filled the clearing. Kagome was unfazed, rather the sound moved her in a good way. Another cramp made her wince, but she stuck through it. 

“We can.” He answered through gritted teeth. She gazed at him.   
“Why does it bother you so much..?”   
He considered her question for a long moment and strode towards her with purpose. Her heart skipped a beat as he entered her space like he was meant to, but he didn’t touch her.  
“Because it smells edible. It smells...” He paused, his mouth at her ear the way that had been making her melt inside. “Fuckable.”  
She swallowed, mouth parting.   
“So its just like him, right? You called him Owashi?” her voice wavered saying the demon’s name. “Do you want to defile me?”  
Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed, but she knew he wouldn’t lie to her. He was an all-powerful demon lord. The way he was contemplating his answer made her wonder if she really wanted the answer to her question.  
“We want to taste you.” He murmured. “We are desperate to savor what we scented months ago. It is all we have craved.”  
She could feel the scrape of his claws on her cheek now, grazing her skin tenderly. She gasped when she felt his hot tongue on the rim of her ear.  
“And if you gave this Sesshoumaru the chance... Yes. We would defile you, as you are a priestess when we are a demon. Never without you begging for it first.” He finally answered. “We do not rape; we reward for consent.”  
He pulled away from her and turned to leave.  
“And if I consented, what does that mean?” She asked, her voice shaking. Sesshoumaru went deadly still.  
“Are you consenting, priestess?” She heard him inquire over his shoulder. Kagome didn’t mean to shudder, but it had nothing to do with fear or distress. She could feel that warmth again, deep in her belly that overrode the cramping in her womb. The weight of the decision was heavy on her stomach and she stared long after him.  
“I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is sans-beta and is being updated as issues are found.  
> Fair warning; if you didn't pick up what's about to happen based on context alone, the next chapter is going to be filled with the steamy, lemon filled adult situations.  
> Sex. Its going to contain Sex.  
> This and the warning posted at the beginning of the next chapter is all the warning you're going to get.  
> I enjoy feedback, the goal is always to be a better writer. Thank you for reading.


	8. This Consent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is your final warning - This chapter contains graphic sex and depictions of blood kink, as well as swearing if for some fuck-all reason that was the straw that broke the camel's back.  
> For those that have been waiting for this - enjoy.  
> *Special Note*  
> Your loving author was sick with a viral infection for at least five of the chapters after six - I deeply apologize for any inconsistencies as I was loaded on sleep medication to keep me down for as long as possible to ride out the worst of the infection. I request if you notice something to message me personally; not a comment.
> 
> ~*~

_“I am.”_

The words rang like a tinkling silver bell, reverberated like a golden trumpet in his ears. His beast bellowed in approval and urged him to take her wherever there was quiet and give her what she had just requested.

“You are sure?”

“Don’t make me rethink what I said, Sesshoumaru.”

His blood positively roiled as he stalked her. She wasn’t afraid. He could taste her excitement, even in the flashes of indecision. In one swift motion, he grabbed her buttocks and hiked her up to wrap her legs around his waist, taking care not to harm her sensitive thighs. To his surprise, she offered her lips up to his in a soft brush of lips that stoked his hunger. He held her tight as he bounded up into the air, far from where the pack was camped out. His intention this evening was to settle himself anywhere upwind from the miko and her delicious scent; now he could head for the haven he had scouted the night before to settle away from the pack, still close enough to monitor for predators but far enough away Kagome’s scent wouldn’t be so strong. She clung to him, head laying at his neck. 

  
He arrived in a wooded clearing where soft grass surrounded the small hearth and a circle of stones meant for a small group. A swipe of his whip lit the fire in a blaze of glory and he set the priestess on her feet. She looked around, taking in the massive trees around them and the small shack built on the edge of the forest. It was not the first time he’d visited this spot. He had allowed for a small stash of supplies to be left for the next time he and ward visited, meaning there was food for human consumption and a blanket roll. The priestess, being a creature of comfort would probably appreciate the blanket roll. It was soon settled on the ground beside the fire, and he had dressed down, removing his armor and swords. He looked toward the priestess, and crooked his finger.

“Come.”

She hesitated, but took a cleansing breath and moved slowly toward him. 

“Remove.” 

She stopped, eyes widening a tick, but she understood. She moved closer to the firelight where the air was warmer. Her hands went to the hem of the covering dark colored garment she had replaced the tee shirts with, and pulled it up over her head. There was nothing beneath it but her flesh, pale and marred by cuts over her breasts from Owashi’s talons. She watched for his reaction, waiting for something she was satisfied she wasn’t seeing. She reached for the top button of her blood-stained jeans and he stopped her.

“Hold.”

She paused. Her cheeks were flushed as he approached, and she moved to cover the scratches and her breasts. He stopped her arms and uncrossed them, letting them down at her sides as he studied her. His hands made short work of his remaining clothes and he descended upon the her pale flesh, running his palms over the silkiness of her shoulders, her breasts, and her stomach. He knelt before her, warm breath glazing her stomach and creating goose flesh everywhere he touched. Kneeling, he put his face to her chest, inhaling the scent of her arousal and blood. When he put his tongue to the deep, still fresh gauges on her chest she gasped in pain. His arms kept her in place, pulling her even closer as he continued to lap at the old blood there, one hand palming her breast and feeling the nipple pucker all the same. 

She wasn’t even fully unclothed and he was ready for her, needing to bury himself in her. Kagome’s skin was like the silk of his haori - warm and comfortable. It was easy to lose himself in touching her, and it seemed like every rounded curve had a sensitive spot that garnered a delightful noise from her. Only after Sesshoumaru had thoroughly explored her torso did his hands go for her shoes, socks, then the button of her jeans. Her hands stroked his scalp as he pushed the jeans all the way down her hips, thighs, calves until she stepped out of them. She wore a pair of black shorts beneath the jeans, and his hands paused.

“Priestess, this is the point of no return. You consent to all of what we are going to do to you?”

His thumb brushed the skin just below her belly button, and she shivered, moving closer as her hands tightened in his hair.

“Make me forget him, Sesshoumaru. Make me forget I was ever under Owashi. I don’t want to ever remember that again.” She breathed. Sesshoumaru’s eyes bled, his beast roaring and bellowing. _His, all his_. He yanked the black shorts down her thighs and pulled her now naked core as close to him as he could before guiding one leg over his shoulder. Her body opened to him and he could smell the lush scent of her cycle, blood running over the thigh she was still standing on. He steadied her with one arm on her back and the other just over her hip bones, and waited no longer. His tongue traced the trail of her blood from her thigh, up, up to her weeping womanhood and his mouth settled over her. 

This time she cried out, her hands painful in the silk of his hair as she tugged him closer, urging him to suckle her. He found the bud at the top of her womanhood and sucked it into his mouth, inciting more mewls of pleasure as he continued languishing her with his skilled and long tongue. When he’d licked her clean and free of any of that pure, savory blood he tilted her to lay on her back as he rose to his feet once more, removing the rest of h is clothing and giving her full view of his throbbing cock. Covering her body once more with his, he returned to his work between her legs, scenting more blood coming from her. He sucked hard, letting his tongue explore the cavern of her cunt. It was heaven, perfect unison of taste and scent as he plundered as much of that pure blood of hers as he could coax out, and soon she was shaking underneath him, clearly holding on to her rapidly approaching climax. He could feel the muscles in her abdomen jump and twitched under his palm where he held her down as his other arm was hooked under her leg and caressing her hardened nipple, drawing circles around it and kneading in time with his languid strokes. 

“Cum!” He bellowed from between her thighs, the slits of his eyes flashing wildly. He pressed down hard on her abdomen as his thumb rolled over Kagome’s clit, tongue plundering her vaginal canal greedily, and she had no choice but to obey, clenching down around him, screaming his name and hands pulling his hair. He was relentless in his attack on her, her orgasm pushing more blood from her womb that he consumed with no hesitation. She was slick with need, saliva, and blood, and pleading with him that she needed more.  
“Please, Sesshoumaru.” Her voice was sweet as she begged him, just as he had promised. He didn’t believe she was even aware of what she was asking, and he knew the second he was seated inside of her he would lose control. There was no real way to warn her what would happen, but he’d been holding out for so long... 

Instead, he stroked her from taint to clit with his fingers before inserting his middle finger deep within her. She arched and choked on a moan, feet planted on the blanket and hands fisting in the grass beside her. He moved slowly, ignoring the insistent twitching of his cock against his belly to be inside of her, and didn’t add another finger until he was covered in her juices. With his second, he rocked his fingers in and out of her at an agonizingly slow pace. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath or know what to do with her hands, and her hips moved in circles trying to urge more of him in. He crooked his fingers and began moving faster, rubbing a sweet spot in her before lowering his mouth again to her labia.

“Shall we devour you, little miko?” He murmured against her. She cried out at the sudden heat and vibration and nodded, sweat beading over her brow. He rewarded her enthusiasm with a slow, hard lick in time with his fingers. The motions of his fingers never ceased and her cries got louder and higher in pitch. She was well on her way to another climax, the way she was tightening around his fingers. He added a third finger when she fluttered around him and her cries caught in her throat when he sucked her clit into his mouth once more.

“Tell us what you want, little miko Say it loud.” He slowed his ministrations, frustrating her to tears. She tried and failed once, then twice.  
“Say it!” He roared.

“Fuck me! Please, Sesshoumaru, I need you inside!”  
  
Pleased, he brought her to the brink once more and thrust her over the edge with three fingers. She writhed and screamed under him as he threw her into a bottomless abyss of pleasure, not stopping until she was shaking and twitching beneath him. When he withdrew his fingers, they were coated in her juices, as well as her blood. The scent of her was thick in the air, and it permeated the surrounding woods. Sesshoumaru stood from where he’d been lounging, stretching as he licked his fingers like a treat. His demonic senses noted multiple demons around them. He had no desire to leave his priestess laying unfulfilled on the blanket by the fire in the night, but he needed to make this show.  
His beast was demanding it.  
The firelight flickered off of him, the sheen of blood running from his mouth to his chin in rivulets down his chest as he sucked his fingers clean, savoring every droplet of her sacred blood. The demons from the shadows writhed in the darkness, angry with his boastings but powerless to intervene. He released a blast of powerful demonic aura before returning to his priestess, who was coming down off of her high and realizing how much blood was running down his body from her. She looked disturbed, but her eyes were still hooded with desire, like she couldn’t decide if the pale demon before her jutting a sizable erection was a beast or the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.   
Her thighs were still parted, and her body was still dripping. He would deny himself no longer. 

“Turn to us as an obedient bitch.” He snarled. She moved slowly, and at first she only stood on her hands and knees. Then, she leaned down to her elbows, stretching her back and parting her thighs more, her backside swaying in the cool of the night. His beast growled in approval as she looked over her shoulder.

“I’m done waiting.” She said softly over her shoulder. “I need you now.”  
Sesshoumaru was on her in an instant, knees roughly parting hers as far as she could go before positioning himself at her bleeding entrance, bending down to cage her in.

“This will be painful for a long while before it becomes pleasure. We have tried to save you the pain, but know that we are no longer in control when we fuck you. The beast has been waiting since we first scented you to have you. Do you understand?” He asked quietly, cock bumping her entrance and chest warming the cool sweat of her back. She seemed to take the weight of his words to heart as she nodded slowly. “I’m ready.”

There was a pang of fear from her as she watched him lose control, eyes going red and stripes jagged on his body. Sesshoumaru allowed his beast to take the reigns for this rut, watching through his eyes as his body stabbed his hips into hers and found itself sheathed in her warmth. There was a bestial bellow that erupted from his chest as his body pulled back and slammed back into her with enough force her knees were jarred out of place. He scented fresh blood and reveled in her cries, no longer ones of pleasure but pain. He was lost in her scent, her flavor, her body and it was all spinning so rapidly out of control as his hips surged forward in no discernible rhythm. So long as his cock was being coated in her feminine juices and squeezed mercilessly by her pussy, his beast did not care.

He came back to himself just a touch when he reached down and rubbed hard circles over her clit, and her cries of pleasure were renewed as his cock stabbed her cunt with ferocity and fervor. His beast lowed as the priestess’ pussy tightened around him, signaling her climax was once more rapidly approaching. 

It wasn’t her tight, bleeding pussy that rocked him.

“Cum for me, Sesshoumaru.” She moaned.

He didn’t have even a second to consider she was the only woman who had ever said such words to him. The dozens of demonesses over the years, the humans he couldn’t remember but for a few sparse exchanges. 

Those four god-damned words sent him spiraling into a new world of pleasure and his claws dug into her hips as he pumped inside of her in a handful of hard heated strokes before emptying himself, cumming hard enough to stop his possessive roar in his throat. His cock, still sheathed in her heat twitched and his body rocked against her, one hand steadying them as another pulled her flush with him. She panted, still tight and quivering around him mewling in the aftershocks. She seemed to relax for a moment until his beast leaned them forward again and chuckled in her ear. 

“You think we are done?” He purred in her ear. Her cunt tightened around him again as he hardened. “We start again and go until the only thing you think when you see us is pleasure.” 

“Yes..” she rasped, moving against him. “Please..” 

~*~

Kagome was lost. She felt everything in her leave to make way for the giving Sesshoumaru’s beast what it wanted. His eyes were still red, his cock was still hard inside of her. Her throat was raw from the screams he’d ripped from her, and she had a hunch as he bent her back down onto the blanket he was about to do it again. Not that she cared; for the first time in weeks, the concerns she’d had were nowhere in sight. There was a safety being caged with this beast and she knew it. Any other demon she would have questioned, would have wondered if this wasn’t just rape as an ends to a means. But as his fingers orchestrated her pleasure, even while he had said he was out of control, she sensed a desire for her pleasure even as he was bathed in her blood. 

He began to move inside of her again, stirring up the pleasure that had burned low and coaxed another low groan from her. His hand pressed the back of her neck and face into the ground as his hips rolled into her again and again, muffling her sounds of pleasure. Once she was good and wet again, he pulled out of her and turned her around to face him. His knees were spread as he picked her up by the backs of her thighs, lowering that blood filled pussy back onto his manhood. The new angle made her breath catch, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved her hips by gripping her buttocks hard, pulling her away from him before slamming back forward until she was bouncing with him in a delicious rhythm that had her head thrown back and hair splaying wildly as he pumped into her. Just as she was about to cum again, he changed the position. This time he tested her flexibility by standing, then hooking one of her knees under his arm, one of her feet flat on the ground as he knelt just enough to plunge into her once again.

Kagome rocked against him as best she could, pulling herself hard toward him with every thrust until he had her on the brink of ecstasy again. He repeated his process again, and again until she was angry and hot for him. His beast was teasing her, and she was clearly pleasing him with her emotional response.

~*~

His beast played with her, toying with her until she was close then pulling back and changing position. He’d brought them back down to the ground, bouncing her on his lap as he sat up and made a move to pull his cock out of her delicious warmth one more agonizing time when the coppery tang of her anger blended like a spice with the lush that was her arousal. Her purifying powers flared with her frustration as she pushed his chest to lay him down, even though his knees were still up.

“Don’t you deny me my orgasm again.” She glowered at him through thick lashes and his cock jumped inside of her as she began to grind atop him. She threw her head back and began bouncing on him with renewed fervor.

“Take it.” He growled, leaning up just enough so she could hear him. She cried out, hands anchoring on his raised knees. Her tight cunt was driving him wild and his clawed hands found purchase on her hips as she continued to fuck him. It took every last bit of his sanity to let her have full reign of him as she rocked hard, and when she finally lost control she writhed over him screaming his name and raking her blunt human nails down his chest hard enough to draw his blood. “Take it!” He howled once more as she gasped, shuddering from her position over him. He steadied her hips and thrust upwards into her, again and again, rough and slow as he lengthened her climax until he was entering his own, driving up into her in wild abandon until he finished inside of her. 

Sesshoumaru gave her a moment of rest, leaning her back on his knees before he pulled out of her body. She gave a small cry at the loss of him but allowed him to lay her over his chest.

“We are not done, Kagome. We will keep you until sunrise. Once we are done with that, you will wash your blood off as will we, but you will keep my seed inside of you. It marks you as our obedient bitch, and others will have no choice but to let you bleed in peace.” 

She was still shivering on top of him but managed to nod in the affirmative. 

“Make me forget...” She whispered. “I can still remember him, Sesshoumaru.”

His claws brushed down her warm back.

“When we are done, we promise: You will see his face and forget his name. It shall be but an unpleasant dream on your lips.” He pressed a kiss into her temple, smoothing her sweat dampened hair back. He allowed for her to rest for a few more moments before he rolled them over, gently laying her on her back. The scratches from Owashi’s talons were bright red, freshly bleeding with the exertion of their recent fucking. Those big brown eyes were supplicant with need again.

“His markings.... They are mine now.” He called his poison to his tongue and licked each mark until it was burned shut. Her hands made fists as the flesh seared shut, but the brilliant marks were covered now. His cock found her entrance and this time, it wasn’t red in his eyes. Sesshoumaru found his beast sated and sitting back, full knowing that he was going to continue to be sated as the night went on and relinquishing control. Her eyes met gold and he could see her heart thrum in deeper anticipation. Those smooth hips rose to meet him, helping bury his stiff length inside her again. 

She was everything, more, above and beyond anything he’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The eagerness in her spirit to please, the desperation to run towards desire. He slowly, almost lovingly stroked the inside of her until he could hear her breathing quicken, her heart start to race again. She mouthed his name, reached for his face and pulled him to meet her mouth in a sweet crash of lips. He swallowed his name, the pleadings of her need, the cries of her pleasure and drank them all greedily like being drunk on good sake. He couldn’t stop, even if he wanted to, and as he pulled back, her hips rose, pressing him to slam back into her. 

The night rolled from one climax to another, and when dawn came like an unwelcome guest they had one last rut before he carried her, adorned in his haori, down to the river to bathe. He sat her down on the smoothest rock he could find and pulled the haori gently down her shoulders, tossing it on the bank. There he, waded into the water before her as though he were a humble servant and took one foot into his large hand. He kissed along the tip of her foot, watching her arms shake even as she tried to steady herself while looking into his eyes. He continued up, delicately and gently washing as he kissed up her legs. 

His eyes landed between her thighs on her still slick womanhood, watching blood pool beneath her unbidden. He parted those perfect thighs, getting in one last languid taste. She didn’t stop him, instead cradling his head against her and leaning back, mewling for him as he lapped up the last traces of her blood before he continued his trail of kisses down her other leg, washing and administering the same tenderness. It was something he’d chosen not to do with his prior conquests, if only because he didn’t have any desire to. With the priestess, he couldn’t get enough of every inch of her skin. There were so many different scents she produced, so willingly and vigorously shared with him unabashed, the desire to treat her as prized and precious surged through him. Once her lower half was washed and clean with water, he sprinkled water over her stomach and continued his ministrations. He suckled at her breast whilst her arms were wrapped around him, pulling her body closer to himself, pressing into her. 

Once she was cleaned, and he had dipped into the river, he brought them back to their clothing and they dressed before returning to the road where they had left. As they walked back to the campsite, the group saw their arrival and ran to tuck Kagome into their arms.  
“Where were you?” Sango cried out. She swiped at tears and shook Kagome. “We were so worried!”  
Kagome smiled.  
“I’m okay. Sesshoumaru had a ritual to help me with my problem for now before we get to the shrine.”   
Sango looked at her confusedly, but didn’t ask any other questions.   
Inuyasha was another case. The half-breed’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed on them before he turned in disgust and didn’t say a word, choosing instead to squat by the fire and eye them in irritation. 

Sesshoumaru was now struggling to keep his distance from the priestess. Having spent so much time in close proximity made it hard to remember they were in company that may not be so accepting as his little miko was last night. It was of no consequence. The miko practically dripped with his scent, and more every time she looked his direction. For now, he had secured his claim on the priestess and should Owashi come for her again, he would have a valid reason to remove the demon’s plume and give it to his current partner as a lofty hat. 

~*~

Kagome was still sore but felt a sense of security in the demon lord’s presence. He had been true to his word. She didn’t remember the demon’s name, and any of his markings had disappeared beneath Sesshoumaru’s tongue. Her nethers dampened again, reliving their time. She was sore and bruised, but ready to move forward with optimism.   
The pack discussed flying and decided it was an risk worth taking. Once everything had been packed and settled, they mounted and moved quickly. Inuyasha was bounding along below them as they moved quickly over the land. There was a fluttering of nervousness in her belly with every shadow that passed, and when she looked behind them and saw the taiyoukai floating not far behind, the anxiety passed for a few moments.   
It went like this for the entire day before the decided to halt and give the beasts a rest, walking for another few hours before settling beside the road to camp. Inuyasha went hunting, this time being trailed by Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha glared at the taiyoukai, but said nothing as the left the camp.   
Kagome paid no mind and began boiling water. 

~*~

Sesshoumaru could feel the waves of anger coming off of the half-breed as he followed to hunt with him. Once they were a good distance from the camp, Inuyasha turned on him, rabid.   
“Ritual huh?” He bellowed. “That's a great new word for _FUCKING_!”  
Sesshoumaru’s lip twitched but he said nothing, as there was nothing to say. The hanyou paced in front of him.  
“Of all people, you have to fuck _her_!”   
Sesshoumaru didn’t care to have any kind of argument. If he didn’t nip this in the bud it would never go away. His arm moved so quickly the half-breed didn’t see it and he was swept up.   
“You would do well to watch your tone. Just as your business with the half-breed hare is yours, what happens with our miko is between us.”   
Inuyasha’s struggles stopped at the mention of Ansatsu, but his face reddened in anger. 

“We suggest you keep your musings to yourself. Should the miko decide against this Sesshoumaru’s intimacy, it is her business.”

He tossed the half-demon aside, and rushed the forest, finding a large buck quickly. He skinned it in a series of fluid motions before carrying it back the way he’d come, passing the still panting and angry hanyou. The half-demon spat more curses at him before headed back as well. Once they both arrived at camp, Inuyasha made noises about leaving and didn’t wait for permissions before he was off and gone. Kagome’s anxiety flared, and his eyes slid over to the priestess as he handed the deer off to the slayer to begin portioning it. He moved towards her, slowly and inconspicuously and paused behind her. His fingers found their way under the hem of the long stuffy garment she wore, gently weaving a pattern over her skin. He felt her melt into his touch and sensed her anxiousness ease, and pleasure bloomed through his chest at the knowledge.   
The pack settled in for the night, children learning from Kagome and the monk and slayer slinking off to do their wicked dance while the suspected no one was watching.

Everything finally felt right as he sat in observance of the pack. At this rate, they should arrive to the shrine incident free within the week. There had been no word from his vassal of any complications. 

~*~

Blood and gore were spread throughout the forest, entrails decorating the trees like a festival. The pathetic demon patrolling the shrine had a squeal so high pitched it brought wolves from the mountains down to feast on what was leftover. Lord Owashi stood on the steps leading to the Northern Temple, posed before the barrier as he menaced those inside. His foot rested atop a crying naked woman who had curled in on herself. Her blood was sweet, and as much as he desired to devour the rest of the bitch laying before him, he needed to leave evidence of his message.  
“We know the Western Lord was here; we ensured his servant was spread all over our woods outside of this place. He claims protection of this land, even if he is unable to enter as We are. Mark our words, oh you of the priesthood - Destruction and carnage await you if you are betraying our lands to that mutt.” The demon transformed into his most natural state, a massive jet black hawk that gleamed blue in the setting light with white crown. It screeched and hissed, talons swiping at the barrier in brash anger before taking wing. As day gave way to night, so Owashi, Lord of the North vowed to protect his territories from that disgusting, poison ladled hair ball. Even if it meant a very expensive war.


	9. Prayer is Good for the Soul

Kagome and company were traveling quickly and making good time. The only problem she had was the apprehension she had every time they started out towards their destination; she knew someone, something else was watching. Even marked, Kagome’s gut told her it wasn’t really protection. It felt that way the day after, and the small reassurances he’d been giving her in the little touches and close proximity helped a little bit, but the feeling that something was coming... She couldn’t shake it. They were only a few hours off of their destination, and Kagome desperately tamped down the anxiety that kept threatening to bubble over. 

They paused for an hour to rest their mounts and ready themselves.

“Any demons will not be welcome in this territory outside the shrine. Rin, the priestess, the slayer and the monk are able to move freely through the veil. Any creature of demonic nature will be unable to pass through.” Sesshoumaru was stating facts for them to create a plan of action by. Inuyasha had removed himself from the equation and had not been back. Kagome worried, but remembered he could take care of himself. Hopefully, if he needed help it would ask; even if that possibility was slime to none.

“I think we should leave the kids with Sesshoumaru and Jaken. Maybe I stay behind as well so you and Miroku can consult the priestesses of the shrine.” Sango offered. Kagome eyed the towering demon lord.  
“What about the demon lord of the North. We already know a little bit about him. What are the chances he really does sense our presence here and decide to come for us.”  
Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed with briefly contained rage.  
“We invite him to do so. It would give us the excuse we needed.”  
All three adults turned to look at him.   
“What does that even mean?” Kagome asked, heart pounding. “You said... I would be safe from attackers. I assumed that included Owashi!”   
She was fighting the panic clawing at her throat, and none of Sango’s kind touches or Miroku’s assurances, or even the concern the children would see her unravel could stop it this time.  
“Give us a moment.”  
Sango and Miroku rounded the two children up and moved them closer to Ah-Un and Kirara.  
“Kagome.”   
She was still shaking, finding purchase on a tree trying not to throw up as she rode out the endorphins her panic was producing. His approach was met with a jump and a spark of purifying power that nearly made him wince. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush with his person. She knew he could feel the fine tremor in her.  
“Breath, miko. This will pass. Ask what you must when it does.” He said softly. She stayed that way for a few breaths before she stepped out of his circle of comfort.   
“Why won’t your scent mark stop him?”   
Sesshoumaru’s face was a hard mask. It slipped when his lip quirked into a snarl.  
“What aren’t you telling me, Sesshoumaru?” She demanded.  
“My scent marks you in such a way a weaker demon will avoid you. This does not apply to those who imply they are of the same caliber. Ones like Owashi.”   
“That doesn’t explain enough to me, Sesshoumaru.” Kagome insisted. “I’ve been feeling this shadow watching me. Its the awful gut feeling that for someone like him, it isn’t over until he’s had his. And I don’t want to know what the endgame is for something as disgusting as him!”  
Sesshoumaru released her, letting her turn to face him.   
“When we interrupted him, he was getting ready to lay claim. If he’d done what we have done with you, we would have no charge over you. He would have had the right to call on other demon lords to hunt and kill us.”

She swallowed his bitter words, waiting for the rest.  
“It was only alliances of our lands and peace treaties that withheld Owashi’s right to you; when we claimed you as ours, he acquiesced out of courtesy, not necessity.” Sesshoumaru searched her. “If you had not consented and he caught you in these lands still unmarked, he would have the right to take you again on his land and deny our dues; it would lead to the spilling of much demon blood, with any humans who got in the way collateral.”  
She was quiet, still thinking as he laid out the information for her, and it dawned on her.  
“Marking me... Only laid a claim, it didn’t promise I wouldn’t be attacked by another lord. It just warned the other little ones to stay away. Owashi could still come after me.... But there’s a catch....” She swallowed. “What is it...?”

Sesshoumaru’s hand clenched.   
She noticed he did it when unpleasant news was coming, and braced for it.  
“We fully expect Owashi to come for you. If he comes for a marked partner of This Sesshoumaru’s, we have the right, heir or no, to kill him and take his lands by force. By attacking a female with the potential to bear children, females that are ripe with seed, the aggressor is dishonoring the patriarch of the female he attacked. In weaker males, those of us stronger, that have the desire to, will eliminate the family starting at the patriarch. You are... an unusual set of circumstance, priestess.”  
Alarm made her stomach drop to her feet. All he’d told her in was that he and some other demon could use her to instigate a war, fighting over her carcass like a pack of wild dogs.

“Is that what my consent was all about that night? Or was it a notch on your belt..?” She whispered.   
His silence leeched away any assurances he’d offered in the last three days they’d been traveling, and suddenly Kagome felt very naked and alone again. “I came to you because you told me you could keep me safe. Were you lying? Was it territory you were after? Was this all some bullshit scheme, leading us out this way?”  
She could hear herself becoming hysterical and fought with it, feeling her power rise in her like a tide trying to wash away the sandy grit of this dirty feeling that was consuming her. She ducked away from him, skipping towards Miroku.  
“I need to know if there is really a shrine this way, Miroku.” She said quickly. Miroku whirled, surprised.  
“I’m fairly sure there is, but the last time I traveled this way the wouldn’t let me in by myself.” He chuckled, scratching his head. “They didn’t really trust me to keep my hands to myself, I suppose.”  
“Typical..” Sango muttered under her breath.  
“We’re going now.” Kagome snapped. “You’ll lead the way Miroku.”   
Suddenly, she wished Inuyasha hadn’t vanished. At the very least, his was a comforting presence. Where Sesshoumaru had been the rock in her life, that sturdiness was sucked away from her like quicksand, and her regret was in acid laced scars all over her chest and thighs. 

~*~

The priestess’ anger was still palpable, but it didn’t sting like her mistrust did. Sesshoumaru had never had to concern himself with gaining the favor of the meager, and this time was no exception. He’d gotten what he wanted, and bargained with the priestess for her safety. Any means beyond was entirely incidental. Sesshoumaru had no need for additional land, let alone the headache that came with ruling. Personally, all Sesshoumaru wanted was the murder of that child-eating, priestess raping, bird brain that tended to make more headaches for him when working treaties at a table than not. It would certainly not come as a surprise to the rest of the ruling parties should he go missing and his land be usurped. Owashi was infamous for his dancing around territories inappropriately. 

He followed loosely behind the priestess, who urged the group on as though hell were on her heels. They arrived earlier than anticipated and landed on the steps of the shrine. He could sense relief in the priestess, but her defensiveness did not drop, and she skirted around him as not to touch him. They agreed Kagome and the monk would move through the barrier. Sango, Shippou, Kirara and Sesshoumaru would find a spot to settle in the nearby woods while they found out the basics of what Kagome would need to learn and how long it would take.

“We must wait for invitation into the barrier. The priestesses guarding this shrine prefer it this way.” Sesshomaru said. “You are awaited already, as it were. We have visited, and know you were arriving within the week.”  
The group settled on the steps, waiting for the invitation Sesshoumaru said would come. Something was off about the scent here, he noticed. It was too clean, and at the edges of the purity from the barrier was restless energy. He took in the surroundings, looking for something amiss. There was a shift in the wind, picking up from the valley below, and his eyes widened. The unmistakable scent of gore washed through the air. He recognized his vassal’s scent, a crow demon that would have sent word back should anything happen before he arrived. Clearly something had gone wrong; Sesshoumaru eyed the forest. Perhaps it was indeed best that he stay in close proximity.

About two or three hours later, Sesshoumaru saw the barrier waver and a priestess came to greet them.  
“Lord Sesshoumaru, we welcome you..” She said, eyes flitting over the group. “But do so under duress. The Demon Lord of the North has already been here under threat of violence if you are here for his lands. Your vassal.... You will find him spread all over the forest in the canyon below.”  
Sesshoumaru held his anger in check. One vassal did not a kingdom break - but the slight was insulting.   
“Surely you explained to the Northern Lord and gave him the gold we offered you?”  
The priestess hesitated. She turned back to the barrier, seeing something the group wasn’t, and nodded, stepping to the side where she had exited the barrier.  
A foul stench came through the barrier. It took a moment, but he recognized the woman being escorted from the barrier. The priestess Itsuka.   
“Priestess..” Sesshoumaru came to face her. He didn’t need to ask what had happened to the woman. There were bruises and blood, poultices and sutras in place to protect the priestess while she was weak. The most shameful was the fact the woman could not look the demon lord in the eye - the once resolute and determined woman was in shambles before him. 

“The Northern Lord laughed at the offering and stripped me in front of the shrine before disgracing me.” she said curtly. He heard Kagome gasp as she rushed to help the old woman. “Unfortunately, your protection backfired. The Northern Lord has left you a message by leaving me alive, Western Lord. It is your move.”  
Sesshoumaru made no motion to help, nor an apology.   
“Will you still take the priestess and train her?” He inquired. The woman glared at him, her hunched back straightening.   
“For her sake only, to protect her from demons like your kind.” She responded, anger coiling in her voice. “We as a shrine suggest you make right your promises of protection. Kill the demon that defiled me, take his land for your own, and cleanse it of any demon that would throw the balance of energy to the wind.”  
Sesshoumaru watched the priestesses lead the woman back behind the safety of the barrier.   
“We make no promises. This land is not our business, and we are not interested in the headache of bureaucracy.” Sesshoumaru pointed his response to the young priestess that had originally come out. “While we take pleasure in the carnage and chaos war brings, something tells this one you do not agree with our practices. And mark our words - war will follow if we cannot come to a civil agreement with the Northern Lord... Which is already highly unlikely.”   
His lips quirked in a never before seen smirk. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed each one of the pack members pale. The priestess standing before him shielded herself with her forearm as though he were about to attack her.

“Are you prepared for the consequences of your request?” He rumbled.  
His question was met with stillness. There was no disagreement in them, but he could taste apprehension. “Slayer - go and settle camp with Jaken and Ah-Un. We will join you presently.”  
Sango glared but didn’t protest and led the other half of the group down the stairs.   
“Kagome.”  
Her head turned toward him, stopping her just before she followed Miroku into the barrier.  
“What?”   
He could tell she was still angry with him, and none of the conversation held with the priestesses of the temple seemed to calm her. He took two steps, inserting himself in the space between her and the barrier. The muscles in his right cheek jerked as he decided just how to try and bring him one last hint of the scent she had so deliciously been supplying him with over the last few days before her mistrust separated them. She wouldn’t even look him in the eye anymore. It would not do.  
He brought his large hand to cup under her chin, moving her face to look at him. Her unhappiness should not matter to him; sensitivity was for the dead and dying. But the pleasure he took in her when she was at ease gave him a sense of power and drive. Perhaps investing in hers as he had Rin’s would be worthwhile. He held her chin and cupped her cheek with his other hand before leaning down and gently brushing her lips with his. He stole her breath with his first brush, and swallowed her sweet mewl with his second insistent press. A rumbled vibrated from his chest as his hand passed through the silk of her hair. 

“Do not harbor misgivings, miko. Our intention was not to start a contest.” She was finally looking at him. Her smile had not returned, but he considered it a step forward. “We never lied; what we desired we spoke truth into the night of your consent. We could conquer all of these lands and still not find the...” He smirked against her mouth, “Delight we have found simply in your scent alone. The trade made for your safety was meant to benefit both participants. We did not expect the benefit of body and blood to be so poignant for us.”  
Her eyes were hooded, and a deep inhale gave him the proof he needed as her body reacted to his gentle ministrations. He passed his thumb once over her mouth and stepped away.   
“Step outside the barrier should you need us.” With that, he turned and made his way down steps, into the forest.

~*~

Kagome watched him go, still battling frustrating emotions. It wasn’t as though Sesshoumaru had any reason to lie. She was certain her opinion mattered about as much as a fly on the butt of a cow, but something he said nagged at the back of her mind. She moved through the barrier with Miroku and followed his lead, bowing respectfully to the leaders.

“We assume you are the Shikon Priestess of which the Guardian of the West spoke of?” One of the women came forward. She had kind, hard eyes that appraised her with fierce judgment. Kagome nodded, suddenly nervous. It felt like being watched by a school teacher - and she bent at the waist again.   
“We come -”   
“We already know why you are here. Lord Sesshoumaru has already made clear the problems you are creating with your ignorance.” She interrupted cooly. “Call me Sayano. As Itsuka is on the mend, we will be handling your re-education.”  
Her eyes fell on Miroku.  
“We understand you could use a rededication yourself, Monk Miroku. Your reputation proceeds you.” Sayano motioned for a monk. “Meet Kosuke. He will take you to the appropriate meditation grounds for monks. Walk with us, Kagome.”

Kagome started at the sound of her name, but quickly bowed and followed. What the barrier did not reveal was the rest of the shrine buried in the mountainside. The entrance hall was grand, the occasional oil lamp lighting the way. The shrine went deeper, but Sayano veered to the right where another entrance had been carved from the mountain. They moved across a stone carved platform that led to wooden stairs that had been designed into the mountain. Sayano descended, and they walked in silence. It took some time before they were down into the side of the mountain where they re-entered the mountain. Water from a small stream up top of the mountain poured into a deep temizuya station equipped with dippers. As miko and monks entered this place, they washed their hands and proceeded forward. Kagome, familiar with the practice, washed her hands alongside Sayano before entering. There were a few smaller shrines lining the deep cavern, all with the appropriate offerings and prayers being offered, Kagome noticed as the continued on, and finally they came to a large area where a polished wooden platform had been built. There were a small handful of miko seated before an older woman who appeared to be teaching. 

“Before I settle you, Kagome-san, remember. This training is nothing like the demon lord’s. Lady Junko will assess your level of capability before putting you on the best path of learning. Lord Sesshoumaru said you were only interested in learning to raise your barrier. Hopefully, we can correct the...” Sayano chuckled. “Issues... He has created in training you.”  
Kagome flushed and had to wonder...  
“What exactly did Lord Sesshoumaru tell you?” She asked. Sayano hid her smile behind a hand.  
“Nothing of concern. Just know we are going to do what we can to help you past your block so you can appropriately summon a barrier. Remove your shoes here and take a seat at the edge of the platform. Lady Junko will be with you in a moment.”

Kagome did as she was directed and waited, watching the old woman lead a final prayer and meditation. She rose, and her students stayed where they were, meditating. 

“So you’re the priestess learning from a demon who has her barriers crossed.” The old woman’s voice echoed and drew one or two people’s gaze. Kagome cleared her throat and nodded.  
“I guess there is a problem with the way I’m constructing the barrier, but I wasn’t really told what the problem was. Sesshoumaru just said I would benefit in learning from a priestess who specialized in barriers.”  
The woman gave her a wizened smile. Her aura alone was a deep pool of knowledge and understanding, and it drew a smile from Kagome.   
“Unusually informal with the Guardian of the West...” Lady Junko observed.  
“I will say this, young lady; I can tell from looking at you, you have been trained mostly as a warrior. We can refine you a bit to help you learn to control some barriers that will help you with your menstrual cycle.” She paused. “Lady Itsuka explained to me that you have been having a physical reaction when you summon the energy for your barrier. Is this true?”

Kagome’s mouth hung open for a moment but she shut it and nodded. So Sesshoumaru had noticed. Gods, she could bury herself in a hole and die of embarrassment. The only consolation was the fact he’d seen and smelled more than that in the last week than Inuyasha had since their travels had begun. At least there was no reason to hide any of it anymore.  
“Very well. Come. We are going to the lower levels so you can safely show us what you’ve learned and how we can correct it.”  
Kagome balked.  
“There’s more here?”  
Lady Junko nodded and the walked to another set of spiral stairs leading to the final stone platforms where run off water from the falls above cut a small path through. They stepped over the stream and Lady Junko sat. A small shamusho had been built on the opposite end of the entrance, and a young man brought out a tray of tea where the older priestess had settled.  
“Now that we have some privacy, show us how its done.” She said, sipping from her cup.   
Sweat beaded on Kagome’s brow. She wasn’t sure she could readily do this in front of the priestess after the last time; somehow she felt it was inappropriate. Kagome wrung the hem of her long-sleeved shirt as the miko looked on expectation.   
“I really.. I don’t know if I can...” 

The priestess set her cup down and waved her off.

“According to what Itsuka said, you had a climax attempting to use your barrier.” She said nonchalantly. “I understand wanting to keep your focus, but between you and I, I would rather enjoy my barriers the way you do. Now. Don’t mind your embarrassment. Just show me.”  
Kagome nodded with a small swallow. Shutting her eyes and tossing her hair, she rolled her shoulders and tried to relax. She imagined the veil of cloth coming over her, starting at her toes and moving up. The pricking sensation started when the barrier enveloped her knees and moved up. She shuddered but pushed herself to keep going. The nature of her thoughts moved to his sharp claws, and at first it was pleasurable and she sighed at the image of those hands gracefully caressing her flesh, moving up over her knees, claws pushing deeper into her skin rending the flesh from her and making her bleed -   
Kagome screamed and curled in on herself, unknowingly encasing herself in an offensive barrier that roiled around her and exploded. She dropped to her hands and knees and huffed, eyes wide as she stared at the stone. 

“PRIESTESS!” Someone shouted, shaking her shoulder. Then someone slapped her. “Come back priestess, calm down!”   
Kagome started out of her mindlessness, looking around in confusion. The tea set was shattered, green tea spilled everywhere. The young monk was peering around the door frame in shock, and the older priestess was shaking her.  
“What happened?”   
The old woman sighed in relief and released Kagome’s shoulder.   
“Definitely not the barrier that Lord Sesshoumaru described. Has something happened since then?”   
Kagome dipped her head.   
“I was abducted by a different demon lord. Some demon named Owashi. He .. If not for Lord Sesshoumaru he would have.. defiled me.” She shuddered. “He warned our group it could happen. None of us were expecting to have to defend against it so soon.”  
The older woman frowned.  
“It seems our Lord of the North has been unusually relentless as of late. I heard what he had done to our dear Lady Itsuka, and that Lord Sesshoumaru is threatening war over it.” Junko studied her for a moment. “Are you involved with Lord Sesshoumaru...? Is this why the Western Lord is taking what was done so seriously?”  
Kagome sat back and crossed her legs. “It started with trying to keep my scent from bothering him. We were working on creating a small individual barrier to keep it from him at his request, as well as to keep me safe. He warned me that I could be attracting predators, and didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention to his ward if she was going to learn reading, writing, stuff like that from me...” Kagome paused. “It wasn’t until later I learned it did something else to him...”  
Junko nodded, thinking for a moment.  
“So before, when he taught you about barriers, I have to assume you were having some kind of a physical relationship with the Lord of the West, which is why you had the reaction you did the first time.”  
Kagome shifted her head side to side in uncertainty.  
“It was really just intense flirting and little touches before.... Owashi.” She spat his name.   
Junko pursed her lips.   
“So you haven’t made a barrier with Lord Sesshoumaru since being abducted by the Northern Lord.” She sighed heavily. “Which is why now the nature of your barrier has changed. This is going to be a challenge.”  
Kagome felt disappointed at first, a little hopeless. Then Junko rolled her sleeves up.  
“We start with meditation and prayer. You have much to let go of, you priestess. Sit beside me and we will begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is sans-beta. We are correcting issues as we find them. Feedback is always appreciated - the goal is to become a better writer. Enjoy


	10. What Resolve?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Language & Sexual Content Warning  
> ~*~

The smaller group settled, Sesshoumaru set out into the forest following the scent of gore. It wasn’t long before he came upon the scene of his vassal’s demise. Blood stained the trees, viscera and intestines decorating them. It wasn’t hard to put the scene together. Owashi had a pack of wolves under reign, as well as a multitude of birds. It wasn’t hard to see the wolves tracks in the blood, most likely where they had ambushed the poor crow. The trees being painted was clearly the other birds joining in dismembering the creature. 

“Lord Sesshoumaru!”   
Sesshoumaru looked up from where he kneeled down. It was Rin.  
“My Lord, you’ve been gone a lot lately! Can Rin help you with anything? We have been learning from Lady Kagome as you have asked. Are you displeased with Rin’s progress my lord?” She queried.  
Sesshoumaru didn’t slap the girl, but he was tempted to.   
“Rin. You will return to camp at once. We did not permit you to come with us, and there is danger here.”  
Rin blinked at him and chewed on her lip. “I’m sorry my lord! Rin only wanted to be sure we were not upsetting you. You seem so upset lately.”  
“Come Rin.” 

The little girl nodded and stayed close behind him. They walked for a few moments in the silence of the forest when the stench of musky old bird filled the air.   
“So our assumption must be correct. It seems you’ve taken to humans as well, Lord Sesshoumaru.”  
That damned bird... He could just feel the cocky creature’s delicate neck snap under his fingers, imagine the way its beak would crack under the pressure of his paws.   
“While this land is yours, you step on dangerous ground.” He drawled, moving to block Rin from his view.   
“So you do not eat the humans? Or take pleasure in them?” Owashi dropped from the branch he’d been perched on, a mere few feet from Sesshoumaru. He inspected his still intact talon, clicking them. “One would think so, given the company you keep, mutt.”  
His blue eyes flicked up, cocky smile spreading across his face.

“Where is that tangy little miko you had in your company? That slayer is just not up to our eating _or_ fucking standard.”  
Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed. “We warn you to watch your tongue. It has been made clear she is not for your consumption.”  
Owashi pouted. “What a shame. Perhaps you would like to give up the child as an offering for being in our lands without invitation.”  
Rin whimpered behind him, releasing his hakama and scooting farther back towards the trees. Sesshoumaru moved in a flash, claws backhanding the hawk demon and sending him crashing through the nearest tree.  
“We have no offering for the likes of you.” He shook his hand as though he would be able to shake off the distaste he felt. “Offerings are only given when hierarchy officially traverse through the land. We are not on any kind of official business; therefore your request for tribute is a farce, as is your reign here.”  
The hawk demon was scowling at him, rising and wiping the blood from his nose and lip.   
“You have some audacity, Sesshoumaru. First depriving us of a deeply needed fuck, then running a bunch of humans that specialize in demon hunting through our land. It is as though you intended to piss us off and instigate commotion.”   
He skirted around Sesshoumaru.

“Rin. Beside us, now.”   
The little girl closed the distance quickly, once more wringing his hakama.   
“That disgusting shrine has been a thorn in our land for demonic kind for nearly a thousand years, having trained many monks and priestesses. Why escort more here to be trained?” He spat.  
“What this Sesshoumaru does is none of your concern. We will be here until the end of the priestess’ training and leave. Your lands are of no consequence to us, even if there has been a call for your extermination based on your..” Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed, “Preferences. Children missing, holy women raped. Your human subjects have no desire to worship you any longer, Owashi.”

The hawk hocked deep in his throat before spitting on Sesshoumaru’s feet, pointing a curved talon at him. 

“If we required your consultation, we would ask for it. Humans serve no better purpose than fucking and eating. Even in their villages, that seems to be all they do. Fuck, eat, fuck eat.” Owashi leered at Rin. “Its why their children are so tender. Nothing of purpose ever comes out of most of those disgusting human villages but food.”  
Sesshoumaru reached back for Rin, hoisting the girl onto his side.  
“Hold tightly and do not move.” He instructed under his breath. The little one nodded and hid her face in his shoulder. “We remain unmoved, Lord of the North. We have business that will be attended, and there is no challenger that will threaten us. While you have reign of this land, we have done nothing that does not already occur here. Humans will come at will, training at that temple with or without our involvement.”

Sesshoumaru called upon his whip, snapping it before the hawk. The demon jumped back once, digging his toes into the earth to launch back at Sesshoumaru with two sickles, now drawn. Sesshoumaru waited for the opportune moment and just as Owashi lurched forward, he sent the whip hissing through the air, wrapping around the demons neck with an angry snap. One jump and Sesshoumaru was dragging the hawk behind him. He twisted the whip around him and brought the demon back down in a wide arc, amassing enough force to bury the hawk demon in a crater. Releasing the whip, Sesshoumaru moved quickly towards the campsite, fully expecting to find more bloody ruin.  
Instead, the slayer was poised with her demon weapon.  
“I heard an explosion! What - Rin?!” She shouted, running to grab the girl from Sesshoumaru.  
“What the hell happened?” 

Sesshoumaru waited for the slayer to set the girl on Ah-Un before he landed a swift backhand on her face, sending her to the ground. He punted Jaken across the clearing and nearly throttled the fox kit, only stopping when he realized he would incur Kagome’s wrath for touching her pack.  
“You were all charged with Rin’s safety! You let a child wander through a known child-eating demon’s territory. It is only your good graces with the priestess that keeps us from killing you, slayer.” He roared before turning back to Jaken. “You. You should be killed for your negligence as well, but it would be more burdensome to find your replacement than it would be pleasurable to ruin you.”

He spun and approached the edge of the camp, inhaling and searching for the hawk demon’s scent. So far, he found nothing. When he came back to the center of the camp, the slayer was picking herself up off the ground with Rin’s helping hand.   
“Be warned. The Northern Lord knows we are here and has not taken kindly to This Sesshoumaru’s presence amongst demon slayers and exorcists.” He seated himself on a stump, elbows on his knees, leaning forward and folding his hands before him as his angry visage fell back on the fire. “We are warning this. If not for the knowledge we would be separating the kit from his mother without her permission, we would insist you, slayer, join your friends behind the barrier while we found a safer place for Jaken and the children to settle with those of us having demon blood.” 

The slayer, angry but chastened, grunted in agreement.  
“For now, we stay here until Kagome summons us or we have the capability of leaving this place in safety. When this occurs, we will pass the idea to her. Until then, we are not suggesting you stay within the boundaries we have set; we are ordering you to stay here. Are we understood?”  
“Fine.” The slayer answered, embittered. Jaken bowed multiple times with at least a dozen, ‘Yes m’lords!’ and Rin nodded profusely.  
“You didn’t have to hit Sango.” The kit grumbled. Sesshoumaru’s eyes slid over to the kit and narrowed, making him yip and hide behind Rin.   
“I understand, Lord Sesshoumaru. I’ll be more careful in the future. Apologies for not noticing she was gone sooner.” The slayer said quietly. He rumbled but said nothing more for the rest of the day.

For once, Sesshoumaru desired the presence of the half breed. Hunting these woods for longer than a few minutes without proper protection for the creatures left behind was a mistake - he could sense the blood lust boiling over from the trees. Hopefully the hanyou would un-bury his cock from the half-breed hare soon enough to assist him with securing his pack before Owashi decided to quit toying with them and bring hungry demons for the rest of the humans. 

~*~

Sesshoumaru sat on the pack for a full three days defending from punitive attacks before the hanyou found them. It was late evening when he arrived, and he seemed surprised at the sorry state of the pack.  
“What the hell happened?” He had noted the yellowed bruising on Sango’s cheek.  
“The Northern Lord is stalking the remains of your pack, and mine as well. He seeks blood. We must reassess our original plans before he comes with more demons than we can easily defend against. Watch the pack. We will request the miko’s presence so we may leave without her concern as to where we are.”   
Inuyasha’s brow furrowed. “What’s your plan, flea-breath?”

As annoying as he was, Sesshoumaru stowed his desire to beat the half-breed within an inch of his life.  
“We intend to deposit the children in a safer location, away from the northern lands and into the custody of vassals we can have settled near the border. Jaken will ride Ah-Un with the demon cat as protection to the settlement and you will accompany them. The slayer will be safer behind the barrier with the monk and priestess.” Sesshoumaru stopped, waiting for the half-breed’s protest, but none came. Inuyasha instead crossed his legs and sat before the fire.  
“Not bad, seeing as demons can’t pass through the barrier.” Inuyasha said quietly, dipping his hands into his haori. “But why not send me to tell Kagome what your plans are?”  
“We can knock on the barrier, and they will know who we are.” 

Inuyasha opened his mouth to interject but was silenced when Sesshoumaru held his hand up.  
“Where we knock, tessaiga will crash. The barrier must remain healthy and fully intact to keep the humans behind it safe. The Northern Lord is looking for a way to invade the shrine that he may burn it to the ground. We are assuming you agree this would be unfavorable should it happen.”  
Inuyasha feh’d and pursed his lips with no further arguments. The silence around them gathered as Sango moved to prepare food for the children at the very least, using what was left of their water to boil some of the noodles the priestess had left her.   
“If you’re going to go to Kagome, I suggest sooner rather than later. We’re running out of supplies. Now that Inuyasha is back, you should go.” Sango said quietly.   
“Hn...” 

He rose slowly and moved to leave the camp.   
“We will be back shortly to inform you of the priestess’ opinion. Regardless, now that you have returned to your pack, be aware that any move we make involving you is a courtesy. Rin and Jaken will be leaving on the morrow, and the only thing that changes if you disagree is that we will be escorting them personally to safety in your stead. The intention of staying is to protect the shrine’s barrier and those that will leave it once their training has been fulfilled.”  
Inuyasha grunted and stood.  
“I need to talk to you, dog-breath. ‘Bout something Ansatsu said before I left ‘bout Kagome.”  
“Speak.”  
Inuyasha jerked his head and began walking toward the darkness of the forest. Sesshoumaru followed.

“Ansatsu mentioned Kagome had come to them for advice about scent throws an’ stuff. We already knew that; we didn’t really get why. She said you mentioned something to Kagome, and even Kagome mentioned you’d said somethin’ to her.” the hanyou paused, searching Sesshoumaru for a reaction. “Is it true? The only reason you fucked her? The smell, right?”  
Sesshoumaru was a silent tower. Inuyasha ran a clawed hand through his hair in frustration.  
“You can’t just do that to Kagome. She isn’t like those other demonesses you fuck and forget. She takes it personally. Unless you have another reason -”   
“We required her consent. It was done to maximize the outcome of her safety should another weaker demon find her attractive prey. The priestess agreed to it once it was explained.” He kept his answer short.

“Shit, Sesshoumaru. That’s it? The only reason. Sounds more to me like you just wanted a satisfying fuck and had a stupid reason to cover your ass for doing it..” Inuyasha squatted down, hand to his forehead. “If you fuck with her feelings, she’s gonna come after you.”  
“We did nothing of the sort. The agreement was made, and anything else is between us and the priestess.” Sesshoumaru dismissed. Inuyasha looked up and clenched one fist.   
“I won’t stop her from purifying your dumbass; even if it means letting her kill you before I get the chance to.”   
Sesshoumaru raised a thin brow. Inuyasha chuckled.  
“Don’t underestimate that girl. She’ll do what she wants. Its why you brought Rin to her, right? Rin’ll be just as fuckin’ stubborn and annoying if you aren’t careful.”  
Sesshoumaru began his journey to the shrine.  
“We eagerly anticipate not having to guard her anymore once the priestess has trained her appropriately.” he acknowledged over his shoulder. 

~*~

Kagome was deep into prayer on the lowest base of the shrine as Lady Junko had instructed, now donning a clean set of red and white miko robes when she was tapped on the shoulder.  
“Kagome-chan, you are requested outside the barrier. Lord Sesshoumaru has urgent business with you. We are leading him to another gate so he can speak with you so as not to deter anyone else from approaching the front gate. Momoe-san will be with you to lead you to that gate in a moment.” It was the monk who prepared the meals for the lower level of the shrine.   
She nodded and stretched from where she was seated, feeling her back crackle and her arms rejoice in the movement. The training had consisted of memorizing prayers, meditation, and working through the negative emotions that had taken root after her recent assault. Lady Junko had said before she could properly materialize a solid barrier for any reason, it would need to be based on purity, love of the innocent. That she could be a warrior and a healer working in harmony with her goals. After the first two days, Kagome was beginning to believe her. 

As she had no other contact with the outside world until today, she was sure everything was fine. No other news had reached her regarding the rest of the group, and Miroku had visited and sat down to meditate with her more than once. She wondered if he’d been informed of Sesshoumaru’s visit as well. A young woman bowed and insisted she follow. Kagome was lead through the house and through a back door that lead into the canyon of the mountain. They didn’t have long before they came upon a gate where she could see his back as he stood watching the road.   
They had lead him through another small home barring access to the Shinto Gate with its own spiked walls and gates, nestled in the middle of the canyon. The hearth had been lit, she could tell through the windows as she approached. Momoe stopped at the barrier and bowed.

“I go no further. The Northern Lord and his company have been hunting and killing those who approach or leave the barrier. Lord Sesshoumaru will see to your safety until you rejoin us on the other side. You know the way. Good evening, Lady Kagome.”   
Kagome wanted to stop her, ask her to wait for their conversation to be done but could see the girl was already fearful and had no desire to leave her comfort zone. She was scurrying back the way she came before Kagome could say anything. Sighing, she swallowed and bolstered her resolve with a shake of her fists, then took a large step outside the barrier.

“Sesshoumaru.” She called softly. The demon lord’s ear inclined towards her, and he turned.  
“Priestess.” He greeted, equally as gentle. She saw him just barely nose the air before he tilted his head. “We no longer smell our marking. You have been purified in your stay?”  
Kagome shrugged as she took measured steps toward him.  
“Its not impossible. Unintentional, but I guess that’s what happens when you are washed in constantly pure waters.”  
He hn’d, but made no move closer, allowing her to come to him.   
“Your blood has since ceased. For the best.”  
She nodded, coming to a stop and leaving plenty of room between them.  
“Whats wrong?” She asked. “I don’t think you’d ask for me unless something happened. Is everyone safe?”   
Sesshoumaru’s face was a mask of calm.  
“We have determined the children are not safe waiting within this territory. This Sesshoumaru has suggested moving them and the other demons to a settlement within two days travel to minimize the risk to them. It would mean the slayer would join you and the Monk behind the barrier, Inuyasha, the kit, and the cat would relocate to the settlement. All in welcome company.”  
She chewed on her lip. She wanted Shippou safe more than anything, but she knew he and Inuyasha sometimes didn’t get along. While she trusted Sesshoumaru would never intentionally put Shippou in danger, she wondered of the company they would be keeping. Surely nothing too bad, as it sounded like Rin would be going with them.  
“When are you leaving?”   
“As soon as you come to a decision. We would not separate a mother from her kit without her consent unless it was necessary.” he rumbled.   
Kagome’s chest bloomed with affection, and she glanced at him with a small smile.   
“Thank you. Your consideration is appreciated; I probably would have worried sick over Shippou if you left and didn’t tell me where. I wish I could see him before you go.” She sighed, eyeing her feet as she shuffled the rocks between them.  
“How are your wounds?” He was suddenly beside her, shoulder flush with hers as he looked down over her. His closeness sent her heart racing, and she could smell the thunderstorm of his youki. 

“Th-they’re fine.” She stammered, fighting not to step back. “Everything is healing nicely, even if it kind of itches.”  
He nodded in approval and she felt his gaze drop over her, his large hand following the trail of his gaze. It moved up over her belly, between her breasts, over her collarbones and tickled her neck before coming to rest on her cheek. The strength she had gathered before stepping outside the barrier was slipping away as his thumb brushed over her cheek. She sighed his name, closing her eyes and letting her head settle in the strength of his hand.   
“Will you allow us your pleasure?” He appealed, tilting her face so he could kiss her gently.   
“I ...” Kagome’s eyes fluttered open and she sucked in a breath after his kiss. “I really shouldn’t.”

Those golden eyes were warm in the night, and his mouth covered hers again, tongue pushing past those fleshy gates to taste her once again.   
“Very well.” He whispered on her mouth, slowly releasing her. “We will -”   
Kagome tugged at his chest armor, now using both hands to pull him toward her for more. There was next to no resolve left in her as she stroked the stripes on his cheeks with one of her thumbs, sighing with need and pressing into him. He deftly guided them towards the door frame of the house, refusing to let up on his conquest of her lips as he pushed the hanging tatami out of his way. Once they were inside, her fingers tugged on his armor and he made short work of the ties. She untied his haori as he did the same for her hakama. 

Bare chested, he helped Kagome step out of her hakama and did away with the tie for her kosode as he solicited her legs to wrap around his still clothed hips, carrying them to a modest cloth covered pallet. His moko-moko softened the straw filled mattress as he sat, carrying her with him. Her knees settled on either side of his hips and her fingers grazed down his neck, playing at his shoulders. Her kosode parted for him, dropping over her shoulders and coming to an anchored halt at her elbows.   
His mouth relinquished, and began feathering touches over her cheeks, fanning hot breath over her pulse and giving her the tiniest nips and licks as he worked his way over the paleness of her skin. He encouraged her to lean back as he kept drifting closer to her breasts, holding her back in both of his hands as she groaned, exposing her neck as her head drifted back. Kagome was drunk on his attention, delighting in the way the ministrations from his tongue stoked the heat building in her nethers. 

His mouth pulled away at the top of her breast where he’d been sucking the flesh into his mouth and she huffed in frustration, hooded eyes appraising his next move. One of his hands came away from her back and parted the white kosode away from her stomach and hips, her breasts now unhindered from his view.  
“You are a vision in this light, Kagome.” He rasped, golden gaze raking down her nakedness. She could feel his claws scraping at the skin of her back, watched his large palm cover her abdomen and stroke there. It filled her with wildfire and she cooed for him. His head came to rest just under her breasts, breathing in deeply her scent and kissing the flesh. 

“What have you done to this one...?” He murmured. She could feel his hand go lower, his thumb pressing into the curtain of her womanhood and press the engorged little button. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his shoulders as she cried out his name, pleading with him once again. She’d once heard how desire made women say some of the most crass things - and now understood why they said them as Sesshoumaru’s thumb flicked over her button in hard, agonizing slowness as he built her pleasure.  
“Please, make me cum, please..?” She fussed, hands clenching over his skin. His thumb continued to move slowly, but now he leaned back, watching her face crumple with need.  
“Again.”  
Her brows furrowed in confusion, desire clouding her sanity.  
“Say it again, priestess. Tell us what you desire.” He growled, fangs flashing in the night. Kagome leaned her head forward, resting hers on his forehead as she panted through his clever hand and its motions.

“Make me cum, Lord of the West.” Her voice hitched as his thumb passed hard over her again. Then it was gone, leaving her body cold and she groaned in frustration. What she failed to notice was how quickly he had loosened the ties on his hakama, causing the swords at his hip to droop. They clattered against the pallet as he shifted and pulled his length free of his clothing. He positioned her so quickly over his cock that when he pulled her hips down over him, she screamed his name again. The fullness of him seated in her had both of them panting, his length throbbing in her aching cunt.

“We will have you screaming our name for us as music.” He grunted, his hips grinding into her. One large hand was guiding her bucking hips as the other steadied her position over him, and she lost all semblance of control, letting her body take charge as he instructed her motions with the barest touches. The kosode hid nothing anymore, her body completely exposed to him as it fluttered softly behind her. There was something wild, untamed in not being able to stop long enough to remove every scrap of cloth between them. It was as though their need for one another trumped any other desire and she reveled in it. 

“Sweet priestess...” He was gasping, fangs clenched as she rode his cock. He murmured it again and again, fanning her desire hotter. Knowing he was as lost as she was made her realize she was not long away from orgasm, and as she clenched harder over him, she tugged on a few errant strands of silver hair.  
“Sesshoumaru... Close... I’m close...” She moaned, rocking her body in time with the influence of his hands.   
“Good.” He growled salaciously. Kagome gasped when she felt his hand leave her hip and press that delicious button again. It was her undoing - she howled and screamed for him, hips sealed to his and grinding as hard as he would allow. 

~*~

The priestess was unbearably tight as her orgasm crashed over both of them. She sang for him, praised his name just as he assured her she would. Her body was pliant, molding over him as she shifted restlessly, seeking the elongation of her climax. Sesshoumaru nearly spilled into her, but managed to stave off his own release and once she had settled into mewls and coos, he stood, still hard inside of her welcoming warmth. Both swords dropped to the floor as he spread his legs for better purchase so he could begin moving within her again, and it wasn’t the clangor of his swords falling that made him tense. Sesshoumaru could feel eyes watching him as he was seated inside the priestess, sensed another powerful presence that tested the edges of the boundary he’d knowingly set. 

Their foreheads touched, small kisses and licks on her lips drawing more appetizing sounds out of his priestess. His eyes slid from one window to another as he came to rest his back on the door frame of the room they were in, allowing him better purchase to roll his cock slowly into her dripping wetness in a tender cadence as he glanced to the window behind her.   
Angry blue flames came from the darkness outside, a good ten yards away. The Northern Lord was watching. Sesshoumaru smirked briefly turning his attention back to the soft moans of the priestess encasing his cock, licking her lower lip sweetly before his eyes slid back to the glow outside, making it abundantly clear to the demon watching.  
 _Mine. Never yours. Mine._  
One particularly hard thrust had her gasping his name and calling for him unabashedly, and when he looked to the window, the flames were gone, leaving him to pleasure his priestess once more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is sans-beta. Any issues are being corrected as they are found. Feedback is always appreciated, being an excellent writer is the goal. Thank you for reading


	11. Showing No Fear

They had spent another evening in coital bliss. Kagome couldn’t believe her weakness, and when they stopped for long enough she began to berate herself, he would begin touching her softly, sweetly, and she would forget why she was upset with herself. It was as though he could hear her inner thoughts, and he responded to her reproach with affectionate caresses. During the early morning as she snoozed, she could still feel his hands trail down her back through the kosode, occasionally slipping under to feel the skin of her back against his palms. 

She would sigh and remember that morning would bring their time together to a close, and she would be forced to say goodbye. As the pale light streamed into the window, Kagome shifted on Sesshoumaru’s stomach, sitting upright as she pulled the kosode around her to belt it. 

“What do you think you’re doing, priestess?” came his silky baritone. She looked down over the naked demon lord between her thighs, who looked up with a devilish smirk. His claws skittered over his skin, tickling her and drawing a laugh. 

“It is time for both of us to go back. I’m not even close to ready to summoning the barrier.”

Sesshoumaru frowned up at her.

“Do they know how long your training will take?” 

Kagome shook her head. 

“Lady Junko didn’t really give a time frame. I don’t think she’ll tell me until the moment I’m ready to summon the barrier...” She paused, settling on him. “Sesshoumaru, Owashi has been killing anyone entering or leaving the barrier. Is there really nothing you can do?”

His scowl deepened. 

“We did not come for a fight. Unless the Northern Lord slights the West, we can do nothing. What the hawk demon does in his territory is not our business.” His face hardened. “It would be best for him not to incur our wrath... And you are the only reason he would face it. There is no sport in killing helpless birds.”

Kagome flushed when she felt his member tap against her backside.  
“You are insatiable, my lord.” She teased, lightening his mood. Sesshoumaru propped himself up on one arm, his other pressing Kagome to meet him.

“This one is not responsible for a reaction garnered by you, rapacious priestess.” His hips rolled, rubbing his morning hard-on against her and inspiring a soft gasp. He kissed her once, filled with ferocious need before nipping her lower lip. “Though we agree... We must depart soon for the sake of Rin.”

He pulled the kosode off of her shoulders, baring her for himself again. His fingers toyed with the edges of the scars over her chest, seemingly admiring them. She watched him, letting his hands pass over her with deep inner calm he inspired. Even as she questioned if this was right, her coupling with the demon lord, there was still a deep security when she was with him. There was no denying it - Sesshoumaru made her feel safe, desired. She leaned down, possessing his lips with a gentleness she didn’t know she had in her. It caught him off guard as much as it did her. 

  
~*~

Sesshoumaru’s eyes slid closed. The priestess had leaned down and placed what he could only describe as a loving kiss on his mouth. It stole his breath and gave him pause. When they opened their eyes again, they searched one another. Surely, both of them were wondering what fate had in store for them. Sesshoumaru would fight every challenger, prove his strength and wit time and again and leave his opponents in bloodied, ruined carnage, burning everything down around them... But it was the way she’d laid that kiss on his mouth that opened a door he could not see into, one that left him wondering, unsure what about. He gnashed his teeth, flashing fangs and banished his unsurety as he moved the priestess and impaled himself upon her, forcing away any feeling but pleasure. He reveled in her cries, and did not stop until they were both spent and sweaty. 

  
~*~  


“We must go, priestess. Once the children have crossed the border into the west, we will return for you. You need but call, and we will come.” He slid the his chest piece in place and tied it. The miko was running her hand over moko-moko when she looked up with a saucy grin. 

“Promises, promises.” She chided, rising and shrugging her kosode up over her shoulders. She found her hakama on the floor and began searching for the belts when his hand swayed before her, both in hand.  
“Perhaps we should take these with us, as trophies.” He pondered, pulling them out of her reach when she went to grab them. He hooked her with them and dragged her close, kissing her hard again before releasing her and the belts. 

“Study. Return quickly. It is not beyond Owashi to find a way to break the barrier trying to kill those in the shrine, and we would rather you not be available to him if he is ever successful.”

Kagome said nothing, watching as Sesshoumaru walked out the front door. She dressed quickly and moved out the back, finding safety in the barrier before he was out of sight. Her heart sank at his words. Clearly, Sesshoumaru was going to do nothing to prepare the shrine for an attack. His protection only lasted as long as she was here, and no longer. Taking a deep breath she made her way back to the shrine, searching herself for the best course of action to take to them.

~*~ 

Sesshoumaru was nearly upon the camp when he heard the tell-tale signs of conflict. The hanyou swore as he brought his sword down, the Backlash Wave tearing through a flock of angry blue flaming birds. Sesshoumaru jumped to one side, narrowly avoiding the blast when a swarm of demons came for him. Tokijin made swift work of the weaklings, spattering blood and gore everywhere but on his person. 

_ ‘Delightful.’ _

“About fuckin’ time, Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha shouted, cleaving another demon in half as Sango lopped off the head of a snarling wolf demon. “This has been fuckin’ non stop since you left! What the hell were you doin’?”

Sesshoumaru lopped a snake in half, spinning away from the blood. “You would not appreciate the answer.”

At a glance he could see the half demon blush. 

“Collect the children and go. We will keep the rest on the ground. Jaken, lead the way. We charge you with Rin’s safety.” His eyes flashed. “Do not fail us this time.”

Jaken nodded, determination written all over his face.

“Come Rin! We fly for Lord Sesshoumaru!” He crowed, pushing Rin up into Ah-Un’s saddle.

“For Lord Sesshoumaru!” She chirped after him, pumping her arm. “Do your best my lord! You are undefeatable!” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and hopped on Kiara’s back, grabbing Shippou by the tail.

“I’m trusting you with Kagome’s safety Sesshoumaru. I’ll blame you if anything happens to her.”

It was Sesshoumaru’s turn to roll his eyes.  
“Come slayer. We will escort you to the barrier.” 

Sango nodded, keeping a watchful eye on the forest. They were walking up the stone steps when a massive explosion rocked the mountainside. Bright blue flames erupted from the ground and Owashi landed between them in his demonic form as as great black hawk. 

“My my, Lord Sesshoumaru! You’ve brought us a snack! Though it isn’t really our preference... Those full grown women tend to be chewy, and they aren’t super tasty when there is no purity in the meat.” The hawk reprimanded. The hawk demon’s black eyes narrowed. “We will not allow another human to enter this barrier. And that priestess you were fucking last night? We will lay waste to this ground and take her for ourselves.”

Sesshoumaru growled, eyes bleeding red.

“Is that a threat?” 

The great hawk flapped its wings and sent a blast of wind his direction. “Its a promise, you acid drooling shit!”

“Slayer, be prepared to roll.” 

Sango was given no other warning when Sesshoumaru grabbed her by the strap of hirakotsu and jumped.  
“Shiiiiiiitt!!!” She screamed as they landed on the hawk demon’s beak. Sesshoumaru landed a hard downward kick, resulting in a loud crack on the bird’s beak and giving him the charge necessary to clear Owashi. He thrust the slayer hard in the direction of the barrier, only a few yards away, and pivoted midair with his whip drawn. With a swift singular stroke, he brought it down and heard the singeing of Owashi’s feathers as well as smelt the mustiness of it. 

Sesshoumaru dropped before the barrier in a crouch, his hand now palming Tokijin. 

“We warn you, Owashi. There has been no slight; only empty threats and promises. Leave now, and our peace will be intact.” 

“Fuck your treaties!” The bird blasted, spinning and throwing tornadoes down the mountainside. “We’ve had enough of you pissing all over our land, our reputation. Just fucking die!”

The hawk flapped its giant wings, taking to the air. He made it hundreds of meters up before tucking his wings and shooting towards the earth, only unfurling his winds when he was a hundreds of feet off the ground. The force of the wind leveled the trees and crumbled the rest of the stone stairway. Clearly, the hawk intended to destroy the mountainside, digging the land out from beneath the shrine. Sesshoumaru growled.

This would not do.

~*~

Kagome felt the earth shake and she scrambled up the stairs with the rest of the monks and mikos. Lady Junko was shouting orders as they arrived and when Kagome ran up to see what help she would be, Junko grabbed her shoulder. Kagome could tell the priestess was playing tough. The look behind her eyes was one of fear. 

“Lord Owashi has begun destroying the land outside the barrier and is trying to push the chaos into the barrier by removing the land it surrounds. Lady Itsuka is praying out front in the courtyard - we must reinforce the barrier. If it comes to it, Lady Kagome, we will need your power to fend Owashi off. Hopefully you will be able to purify the demon if it comes to this. Go, pray with Lady Itsuka. And if worst comes to worst...” Lady Junko passed her a quiver of arrows and a bow. “You will need to defend. For now, Lord Sesshoumaru - ” 

A roar cut through their conversation and another explosion nearly rocked Kagome off her feet. She regained her footing and ran out to the courtyard. Sesshoumaru was no longer in his human form. He was baring his fangs, pristine white fur bristling as a giant hawk bore down on him. One of the hawk’s talons was badly scarred, and Kagome felt her stomach drop as she came to a stop beside the priestess sitting at the forefront of the halfmoon of monks and priestess. Miroku was beside her as well, watching with awe as Owashi’s claws closed around Sesshoumaru’s scruff, massive wings pulling him back off the ground and the dog demon with him. 

A weathered hand reached up and grasped Kagome’s, pulling her attention away from the roaring demons outside the barrier as they fought for dominance. It was Lady Itsuka.

“Lady Kagome, if it is not too much to ask... You are the strongest warrior priestess we have. Your reputation for purifying demons carries across the land. Please, ready your arrows to purify Owashi.”

Kagome nodded and was nearly jarred off her feet again. Sesshoumaru had rolled, dislodging the talons and bounded for the giant hawk, mouth dripping with acid. 

“Sango!” Miroku’s concerned shout drew her gaze as her friend bounded towards another monk who had Sango’s arm over his shoulders, and was hauling the limping slayer towards the temple.  
“What happened?!” He shouted, taking her other arm. Sango winced.

“Lord Sesshoumaru has been a bit harsh on me. He threw me into the barrier just before we were attacked by Lord Owashi. If not for his quick thinking, I wouldn’t have made it past at all.” She winced. “I’m afraid I might have twisted my ankle in the process though.”  
Kagome nodded. “Go - they’ll splint your ankle in the temple. I’ll be here.” 

Miroku swept Sango off her feet and ran for the temple as Kagome headed the opposite direction. She stopped at the edge of the barrier, face draining as she surveyed the sheer amount of damage. There was a cliff where stone steps had been carved into the mountainside, and the trees for miles had been completely flattened, thrown by the wind Owashi’s wings kicked up. The devastation hurt Kagome’s heart, and her anger with the hawk demon was trumping the fear she had. Kagome bolstered herself. The other miko, even the leaders believed in her ability as a warrior priestess, even as clutzy as she was. She had tamed a demon lord between her thighs, and she was sure the ability to call upon a barrier was within her reach. Kagome thought for one hard moment before she decided. Running back the way she had come, she headed for the back entrance of the temple. 

“Keep praying, Lady Itsuka!” She called. “We’ll defend this shrine until the death!”

She ran, hoping she would make it in time. From where she’d stood, Sesshoumaru had been cut multiple times and the blood was dropping in hefty pools. The landscape would not bear much more of the brunt of their battle.

When she finally arrived at the edge of the barrier from the back gate, she closed her eyes and kneeled at the edge of the barrier, saying a prayer for strength to protect the shrine. She opened her eyes, filled with harsh determination and left the barrier, running through the house and a good distance past it.

“Hey you stupid bird brain! Come and GET ME!” She screamed, pulling an arrow and infusing it with purifying power. 

~*~

Sesshoumaru leapt into the air, jaws almost snapping around the hawks burned talon when the hawk floated up, its beak sampling the air. Owashi let out a bellowing cackle and took off. Sesshoumaru roared after him, and it wasn’t until he himself sniffed the air he realized why Owashi had flown away. Kagome was no longer inside the barrier. Fear for her rushed through him in a flash of hot desperation and he turned and lunged after the hawk, praying he wasn’t too late to stop the hawk. Foolish girl! He swore and turned tail to run after Owashi.

  
~*~

Kagome didn’t have to wait long before a shadow crossed overhead. Her heart jumped and she felt the sudden surge or bravery she’d had merely a moment ago waver. 

_ ‘Hundreds of people if not thousands will die if you turn into a coward now Kagome.’ _ She steeled herself.  _ ‘Be strong for the future of the shrine!’ _

She had no more time for pep talks.

The shadow had swooped down and crashed into the valley farther down, a plume of smoke covered the entrance to the canyon. Kagome squinted, arrow ready to be fired. Breathing steadied she waited. Then a streak broke free of the dust and came straight for her. Kagome released the arrow, readying another as soon as it flew free of the bow. The blue streak darted to one side, then the other as Kagome released arrow after arrow. She looked back for more, seeing only one arrow. She pulled it, hiding it in her hakama. Then the streak was upon her, a clawed hand wrapped around her throat. They crashed into the building before the shinto gate entered the shrine where the barrier covered. The hole was massive, and the dust made her hack and cough as she struggled in the demon’s hold. The blonde hawk demon was grinning at her despite the blood dripping over his face.

“Hello again, priestess. You’ve caused quite a ruckus with your presence in our land.”

Kagome didn’t answer, merely glaring at him.

“First, we lose you to the mutt. Then, he parades a group of slayers and exorcists into a temple to learn? It is spitting in our faces.” He was livid now, face reddening with anger. His grip turned bruising and she was fighting for hair. 

“You know, we saw you in the evening... Right here with the hairball?” The crow chuckled. “What would the temple priestesses think of you fucking a dog?” 

Kagome pulled on the talons holding her with one hand, her other creeping down the side of her hakama where she had stashed the arrow. 

“No worse than fucking a chicken.” She gagged with a cough as she tried to laugh at her own joke. Owashi’s face darkened again and she saw him open what was left of his burned talon to strike her. She screamed and beat him to the punch - thrusting the arrow into his side and pulsing purifying energy into it. Owashi screeched, releasing her throat and kicking her in the stomach through the other wall to get her away from him. 

The force cracked something, and she felt blood from somewhere, but couldn’t tell where. Her brain was fuzzy as she looked around, blinking and coughing, an ache starting to develop over her stomach and ribs. A dark shape hobbled towards her and she saw Owashi slowly emerge from the settling dust, furious youki snapping around her.  
“We may not have time to defile you... ” He hissed, holding his still smoking side, “But mark our words, when that drooling mutt finds you, you will be splayed in red ruin with nothing left for him to fuck but the hole we leave in your skull!” 

“Do your worst.” Kagome shot back, spitting purified blood on his looming face. He shouted, and lunged to attack her. She gathered as much of her purifying power into her hands as she could, like she was building a barrier, preparing for the last strike...

Which never came. 

There was a rumble and roar, jaws snapping over her and a hot splash of blood dousing the rest of her body. Surprised, she looked up and saw Owashi looking down in as much shock as her, dangling from the mouth of a gigantic dog. The dog growled, a booming sound echoing though the canyon before crunching down and severing Owashi’s body in half. The demon’s blood flooded the room, coating her with it as Sesshoumaru opened his mouth and dropped the other half on the floor. He panted for a moment above her, glaring gold eyes landing on her before softening with a whine. His transformation was immediate; and as soon as his two feet were firmly on the ground he jumped through the ruins of the building and gathered her up. 

“Careful... Pretty sure he broke a bunch of things...” Kagome whispered. Everything hurt; there had to be bruises on bruises, and she couldn’t tell just yet whose blood was whose. Even Sesshoumaru had sustained some injuries, blood beginning to blossom over his haori and hakama. 

“Did you kill him?” Kagome rasped. Sesshoumaru glanced around.

“We will find out if his injuries were permanently disabling. For now, we can say we have halted his progress on demolishing the shrine.” Sesshoumaru stood and walked for the Shinto Gate. Kagome was fighting the darkness that was trying to envelope her. It crept over her aching body like a comforting blanket but she wasn’t ready to let go yet. 

“You fought well, priestess.”

“I’m so tired, Sesshoumaru... That stupid bird put me through a wall.” She slurred. She scowled in his arms, feeling the barrier pass over her skin. “Fuckin’ birds. I used to like ‘em, not so sure anymore... Shouldn’t sleep either... might have ... a concussion...”  
Resisting the black was beginning to make her dizzy.

“You should check my eyes... see if they respond to light, nurse Sesshoumaru.” she snickered softly to herself and groaned. “That hurts... Everything hurts...”

“Rest, priestess.”  
“Concussion..” She protested, until a soft, clawed finger pad silenced her. She blinked a few more times, still trying to fight the darkness off as she passed under the Shinto gate.

_ ‘But... we are in the barrier, right...?’ _ she wondered before drifting off sleepily.

~*~

Sesshoumaru secured the priestess before returning to the demolished building back a the shinto gate. He surveyed the ruins carefully as he enjoyed the scents that came with carnage. The blood that had flooded the building when he had snapped that foolish bird in half was beginning to crust and the smell of decaying flesh was setting in. He was looking for the remains of Owashi, and not finding them. It wasn’t a complete concern, all he would need to do is follow whatever trail the hawk had left. Given the amount of blood, there was no way even if the damned bird took flight there wouldn’t be a blood trail. Sesshoumaru pushed aside some of the wreckage and a deep pleasure bloomed in his chest. The squirming upper half of the Lord of the North had been buried under stone and he had just uncovered him. Sesshoumaru felt his beast begin to move through him, a shift in person as his body shifted into his beast. The great dog demon howled, eyeing his prey. Owashi’s face filled with fear, knowledge of what was to come as the beast pawed at what remained of the hawk’s body. 

“What was it you were promising?” He grumbled to the hawk. “Red ruin...”  
Sesshoumaru’s large eyes made a show of glancing around.

“Indeed. Though you are far from our thoughts as a potential mating partner.” Sesshoumaru’s tongue dipped down, lapping at the trembling demon’s blood on the floor. It was musty bird blood; but his victory would not be tarnished. 

“Your slight will be brought before our peers when it is asked why we demolished your hunting ground, you wretch.” Sesshoumaru rumbled, pinning Owashi where he squirmed. “We claim your land as ours, begrudgingly. It annoys us we must take responsibility for your failings, hawk. Die, knowing you were completely worthless to your lands.”

Sesshoumaru’s mouth closed over the demon’s neck, paw holding the torso as he ripped the head from its shoulder’s. He swallowed and took the last of the hawk’s chest in his mouth, shaking it as a rag doll to break as many bones as possible before it was too consumed. Sesshoumaru brought the rest of the building down in his search for the remaining halve of Owashi and once it was located, toyed with it for a few moments before finishing what he’d come to do. He settled on the rubble of the completely ruined building outside the shinto gate of the temple, licking the blood off of his paws and settled for a nap. Eating bird always unsettled his stomach. Before he returned, he would need to bath and tend to his wounds. It wouldn’t do to appear before his priestess covered in his latest conquest. He yawned, large mouth going wide before shutting with an audible click and dropped into a comfortable snooze.

~*~

Kagome didn’t dream. Everything around her was black, and she was simply floating with no concept of time or space. It was almost like floating in the ocean, without the buck of the waves and warm like hot spring big enough to lay back in. It wasn’t until the warmth began to fade and an ache that made her shiver grew. It coaxed her up, up from the blackness into a chilly grey, all the way until she felt her eyes flutter. At first she wanted to sit up. When she tried, the pain she had felt as she came out of her sleep reminded her why she was not supposed to.

“Stay down, Kagome. You were badly injured in the fight with Owashi.” She heard Miroku’s voice and she looked around the room. He was kneeled beside the bed, holding her hand. Sango was asleep with hirakotsu hugged to her chest in a corner; there wasn’t much else she could tell about the room except there was a single lantern burning. 

“Where are we...?” She croaked. Miroku squeezed her hand.

“We are still being housed at the temple. Its been about a week since your battle.” He soothed. 

“How bad is it...?” She asked. 

“From what we can tell, a handful of broken bones and your head got hit pretty hard. Lord Sesshoumaru said Owashi kicked you through a wall? You have a bunch of bruising around your neck and other places, but you’re alive.” Miroku chirped. 

She could see how it would be easy to be chipper not having the same injuries. Miroku kindly stood and brought her a small cup of water. 

“Next time, we’re just gonna wind tunnel the demon lord.” She huffed at him. Miroku laughed and helped her take a long drink. 

“That would have been my preference all along, if not for Lord Sesshoumaru warning me birds have a tendency to carry some pretty disgusting diseases.” He chuckled. His face went serious. “We discovered something about Sesshoumaru yesterday. Do you remember Mount Hakurei?”

Kagome grimaced.

“How could I forget..”

“When Sesshoumaru was hunting for Naraku, and he showed up as well? Remember, there was a barrier there right?” Miroku continued.

Kagome gave the barest nod, trying not to agitate her wounds.

“Yeah. It turned Inuyasha human for a long time until we broke the barrier. I didn’t think Sesshoumaru showed up until after we brought the barrier down...”

Miroku’s face said otherwise.

“Apparently, he’d been walking through the barrier with his group well before the barrier had been destroyed. I think I figured out why.”

Kagome struggled up this time, fighting through the dizziness that made her head swim. Miroku dug through his robes and produced a tiny figure.

It was a tiny white marble komainu. 

Kagome stared incredulously at the figure.  
“No.”

Miroku’s head ducked forward, lips pursed as he nodded. 

“Thats ridiculous, Miroku.” 

“Did you ever see Sesshoumaru touch the barrier?” He asked. Kagome’s brow furrowed. 

“I guess not.”

“Then you don’t actually know if a barrier erected by a priestess or monk would actually keep him at bay.” Miroku reasoned. Kagome frowned and slowly brought her feet off the bed, to the floor. 

“Actually.. There is something..” She dug through the memories she had of the fight.

“I was hurt pretty badly, but I remember Sesshoumaru was the one to pick me up. I don’t remember anyone else following me through the back gate of the barrier.” 

Kagome chewed her her fingernail.

“Could he have..?”

Miroku nodded, thumb and index finger stroking his chin. 

“We’ve seen his demon form before. What if...” Miroku paused, shaking his other finger. “And this is a big what if... What if Inuyasha’s father and brother are ancient descendants of the komainu guardians of the shrines? Which is why he is affected, but not completely purified by a barrier set by a priestess or monk?”

Kagome stared at him for a long, quiet moment. She thought back to her last memories before passing out. As she remembered, the shinto gate was on the inside of the barrier. It flashed back in her memories of when he was carrying her towards the barrier; he had been passing under the gate and hadn’t stopped or paused. 

“Miroku... Was the barrier compromised at all during the fight?” 

Miroku shook his head. 

“The land is in a terrible state, but the barrier stayed in tact. The front entrance is still pretty rickety, and from what I’ve been told they aren’t sure the shinto gate will stay there for much longer. The cliff is crumbling with every gust of wind. They really aren’t sure how to fix it now.”

Kagome nodded absently.

“What about Inuyasha and Shippou? Have you heard anything about them?” 

Again, Miroku shook his head. “In fact, we haven’t seen Sesshoumaru since... Well, since he delivered you to the shrine. He didn’t come directly inside, but laid you on the lowest levels before he left again.”  
She bit at her lip. So it had been a week since they’d heard from anyone. It gnawed at her stomach with worry. Sesshoumaru hadn’t confirmed Owashi was dead - just said they would wait to see if his injuries were ‘permanently debilitating’. For all she knew, he was still just a head on a platter somewhere. The whole group had seen Naraku survive worse. 

“Well, I can’t stand just sitting around. I did promise I would work on my barriers, and if I’m not supposed to move, I should probably go about finding Lady Junko so I can start work again.” Kagome huffed. She felt her bare feet slide over the cool floor and slowly put weight down. 

“So what all was broken, Miroku? Are my legs okay?” She mused. “They feel okay..”

Miroku hovered over her.

“We are thinking you broke a few ribs. There are some pretty ugly bruises on your hip, and your left arm is pretty swollen, but your legs made it through just fine. A few scratches but nothing looked broken or swollen.”

Kagome sighed and winced. Returning to the future she was going to have to order an x-ray and make sure everything healed okay. “Right...”

“We’ll come with you. Sango has been having trouble sleeping since you were brought back, so to see her asleep is a good thing.”

Kagome looked over at her darling friend, still worried but not wanting to wake her. She eventually nodded and rose to her feet. Everything creaked and ached. She was sure she was going to fall apart if she didn’t sit down soon. 

“We can go to the learning area, in the middle of the shrine. Nothing was damaged down there except for a few rocks here and there that have already been cleaned up.” Miroku said, taking Kagome’s arm and helping her out of the room. Kagome nodded. Hopefully by the time she’d healed up she would be able to leave with the ability to bring forth her barrier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is sans-beta. Feedback is appreciated, the goal is to become a better writer. Thank you for reading -  
> We are coming up on the end of the series! I enjoyed entertaining you. Look forward to more content; ideas are percolating all the time.


	12. Enough

Sesshoumaru had returned from checking on the hanyou with the children. All was well, and the transference of power in the land was going smoothly. Apparently, Lord Owashi’s decline had been rapid and spiraling. Not only was he abusing the local villages, the number of humans was dwindling in the land, threatening the natural balance. There had already been a number of shrines and temples he’d burned to the ground before attacking the one he had. It was unsurprising to him. When demons gorged themselves on the weak, it corrupted their sense of power.   
It was one of the reasons Sesshoumaru deigned only to fight the strongest forces. There would never be any mistake in who was truly the strongest; there would be no stepping over weak bodies pretending their weakness was strength.

The building in the canyon that had been demolished in the battle was being rebuilt by a small group of humans who had decided to help get the temple back into working order. The number of trained mikos and monks coming out of the shrine made a difference in small villages where most of those holy men and women would settle and take over the spiritual practices. It kept order where Sesshoumaru was not interested. His eventual intention was going to the head priestess and requesting her assistance in keeping the peace until the new demon lord rose up in the land, or until one proved their worth in leading. 

Petty distaste for opposing forces were not something a healthy land had. It was another part of Owashi’s failings. To even think the dead bird’s name made him want to snarl and spit the distaste from his mouth. Sesshoumaru came upon the canyon to the back entrance of the temple, the guardian building coming into view. There was a bustle of workers constructing a new building, one that he personally had purchased. In the stead of the crude wood spikes, he would have stone gates constructed and carved by demon vassals of the land. The more participation the land had with its resources, the faster it would heal.

The devastation of their fight was another scar on the land. The front gates of the temple had crumbled another week and a half after the battle. The cliff was no longer stable, and slowly crumbling. He had eventually decided at some point he would need to find a way to stabilize the cliffs that had been formed so no more of the temple would be compromised. The barrier was still strong, but it had since needed to be reformed by the priestesses to cover the proper lands. 

The stench of their blood was another problem; the fortunate side was the fires that had been set by Owashi’s flaming blue birds. Before his death, they had set aflame most of the forest below the shrine in an attempt to burn out any additional villages. The trees that had been uprooted burned to ash, fertilizing the land alongside of their shed blood. Nature would take time to reconstitute the land, but with what had been given in its defense, Sesshoumaru was unconcerned with its rebound. 

As it were, they were coming out of the hot season, and going into winter. Chances were the rain would settle the rest of the ground and water the seeds. He put it from his mind as the humans balked at his approach and parted, keeping their distance. For the best, he decided. In one smooth jump, he cleared the new building foundations and stood before the barrier covering the Shinto gate, not waiting for another moment before entering the barrier. The entire thing shivered at his presence, alerting those that held it in their prayers that he had arrived. He was almost to the temple’s lower level when he halted and waited at a small shrine. 

As before, the monk attending the building there came and bowed before him.  
“Lord Guardian of the North and the West, we welcome you to the temple. What can we do for you?”  
“We seek the Shikon Priestess. Is she awake and well?”  
The monk nodded.  
“She has been down on the lower levels working with barriers since she woke three days ago, and has been awaiting your arrival alongside her companions. They are about ready to leave this place to find you, Lord Guardian.”  
The title made Sesshoumaru want to snort in distaste, but he had better things to do than correct a peon.   
“Send word we are ready to collect them if the miko’s training has been completed. We would prefer to speak with Lady Itsuka, if she is well enough.”  
The monk bowed, and went about doing his bidding. The sting inside the barrier was becoming bothersome. No sooner had the monk left did Lady Itsuka appear from the building.  
“Count yourself lucky I have a soft spot for you, Lord of the West. With the experiences I keep having with demons, I’m about ready to purify all of you for the sake of never having another suffer at your hands.” She raised a graying brow to him. “Even if some were better than others.”  
Sesshoumaru’s face twitched, but he hinted at nothing else.  
“We desired to speak with you regarding the lands here. The North is not ours, and we have no claim on it but for the absence of a worthy ruler. When there is one that is worthy, they will be sent to the North to tend to its lands. Until then, we are asking you to keep the peace.” Sesshoumaru tilted his head. “Is this within your realm of possibility, Priestess?”  
The old woman was healed and back to her hard self. She pursed her lips, even if her eyes lit with mirth.  
“It is, but it would also mean a need to expand the way we send our people out into the world. How will we know when a new Lord is appointed here, Lord of the West?” She inquired.  
Sesshoumaru sighed.  
“Balances will be restored, and the land will heal much faster under his tutelage. It may not be in your lifetime, Priestess. But a new lord will come. It is how balance is kept between the selfishness of humanity and the natural world.” He paused, gaze sliding over the withering body before him. He felt a pang of loss, knowing she would merely be around for a fleeting amount of time hereafter. New protectors of the land usually came about over the span of decades. When one line was killed off, a new line springing up could take hundreds of years to take over. It was never another demon’s place to install a new ruler - one would come with the land.  
“We give you this charge then. There are creatures here that share loyalty of this one. We will know if anything is amiss; though it is encouraged you alert us immediately should another... Owashi... Think to procure the land.”  
Lady Itsuka bent slightly at the waist in a polite bow.   
“Thank you for your vote of confidence, demon lord. I assume now you wish to speak with Lady Kagome?” She mused. “I imagine its been a bit long since you’ve had your fill. Lady Junko encouraged her not to encourage your advances anymore. One encounter with you and she’s gone the entire night, not to be heard from again until morning. It had been assumed it would be a quick conversation... At least that was the impression Yuka had been left with.”   
Sesshoumaru bristled at her assumptions, but made no move to correct her. She was, after all, as observant as Kagome. She waved her old hand and chuckled.  
“Pay no mind, Lord of the West. It isn’t every day we get to tease a demon lord and get away with it. She will be with you soon - she is gathering her things as well as her friends.”  
The old woman turned to leave, and paused. She knelt gracefully, and formally bowed.  
“Thank you for saving our shrine, Lord of the West. We could not have done it without your strength.”   
“Hn...” 

With her thanks, she rose and walked back the way she’d come. He waited for another hour before the priestess and her companions showed up. They walked together slowly, the monk fussing over both of them. The slayer was using her demon weapon to balance herself, and Kagome was beside her with an awkward smile, assuring the monk the slayer was fine. She had been so caught up trying to assuage the monk when she looked up, she couldn’t contain her surprise... Or the flushing of her cheeks.   
Sesshoumaru stayed planted, waiting for her as they made their way slowly towards the canyon. It appeared their travels would be slow to make way for their injuries - unless the hanyou showed up like he’d threatened. Blessedly, one of the demons Sessshoumaru had charged with caring for the group that had been left behind in the western lands included the foul-mouthed Ansatsu, as she was already servicing the half-breed and Rin seemed not to mind her brashness. Sesshoumaru would never admit to anyone, hardly even himself that it was his form of apology in some way for gaining the upper hand with the Shikon Priestess by hiring her for Inuyasha’s pleasure. But it was also much easier to deal with Inuyasha when his wick was dipped. Less frustration on all sides, to be sure.   
Kagome stopped before him.

“So you can travel in and out of a pure barrier.” She smirked at him. “Does it affect your sense of smell at all?”  
Sesshoumaru refused to answer her ridiculous question, instead closing the distance between them by pulling her mouth into his, hands burying in the softness of her hair. She hissed in pain, and he released her quickly.  
“We did not intend to aggravate your injuries.” He rumbled, stroking her cheek.  
“Its alright... I missed you too!” She answered softly, hands coming up to hold his large palm to her cheek before taking it and pressing a small kiss into his palm. “I miss Shippou and Inuyasha. We should get going.”   
Sesshoumaru nodded once and glanced over her other two companions, both of whom were red-faced in light of their affection and looking anywhere else.  
“We will move slowly. It will take a week if your pack decides to stay in the place where we directed them to.”  
Kagome smiled. “That won’t be a problem. And its for the best. It looks like Sango’s ankle has a while to heal.”  
With that they four of them were off.

~*~ 

Kagome slept soundly in his lap, curling into moko-moko. The slayer and monk had also taken to sleeping together, the slayer occasionally jabbing the monk in her sleep as his hands got too frisky for their own good. The firelight had died down and it was merely embers when everyone had fallen asleep. It was their fourth night of travel, and Sesshoumaru’s projected timeframe had been completely obliterated with how slowly they were going. He had decided they would need a mount of some sort if they were to continue with any kind of speed, as the slayer’s ankle was the main issue holding them back. 

Kagome shifted in her sleep and made a small noise before settling again. Even though their pace was stagnant, he was enjoying their slow paced travel together. Most of it passed in silence, with the occasional conversation between Kagome and her companions getting livelier with the monk’s perverted nature. His fingers rubbed a lock of her hair between his fingers before inhaling the scent behind her ears. She hadn’t asked for a single thing on their travels, and as much as Sesshoumaru itched to see her progress on the barrier, he was apathetic to inquire. If he was correct, the next village they passed through would be lively and have some kind of bath house. Surely the women would appreciate a stop while he acquired a new mount. 

Sesshoumaru kissed the priestess’ temple and brushed that lock behind her ear, keeping his senses aware of the night.   
The following day’s travel went slowly, and by nightfall they were upon the village as he’d predicted. He placed gold in Kagome’s hand and directed her to go with her companions to the nearest in so they could bath and sleep.   
“What about you?” She asked, brows furrowed.   
“Demons such as us make more noise than is worth having when the village is awake. It is frowned upon to enter as cavalierly as you do. We have business to attend to, and will join you later in the evening.”   
She nodded and seemed to understand, but had begun nibbling her lip with her displeasure. Once they were gone, Sesshoumaru entered the forest to find the mount he was after. He could smell the young demon and knew he would have no problem procuring the bull he intended to use as a mount for the slayer.

~*~ 

Kagome had insisted that the Miroku and Sango go and bathe first.  
“Its not like I don’t know what you two are doing anyway!” She teased Sango, who blushed hotly. Miroku gave an innocent smile.   
“Whatever do you mean, Kagome?” He said through that perfect little smile. “Lets go, Sango. Surely you’ll need help reaching those tough spots on your back -”   
Kagome heard the slap before she saw it and laughed. 

“Keep your hands to yourself, dammit!” Sango groused as they made their way to the bath built into the back of the Inn they were staying at. Kagome still felt a little uncomfortable, enjoying something lavish at Sesshoumaru’s expense when he wasn’t enjoying it as well. But she opted not to think to hard on it. She carefully laid out on the floor, wincing as the pain in her chest spiked. One forgot just how many muscles worked in tandem to keep the body in place until they were injured, and she knew she was no exception. She closed her eyes, just for a moment. Surely they would be done before long, and it couldn’t hurt to take a little nap before Sesshoumaru arrived. He had said he would join them, just not during the daytime. Before she knew it, the comfortable bed had her snoozing blissfully, unawares of the demon entering the room.

~*~

The lantern was still lit when Sesshoumaru had returned. It was late evening, and the slayer and monk had just returned to their rooms. He could scent their rowdiness, and it made him restless. The priestess had fallen asleep where she lay on the mats, hair splayed around her as a soft snore came from her. He nearly chuckled. He’d sensed she was tiring quicker, but didn’t want to make her self-conscious by pointing it out. With any luck, the kudan he had procured to carry the tired humans would increase their pace, and lessen the travel time.   
“Hmmm...” She groaned in her sleep. “Sesshoumaru...”  
He sat down beside her, letting his claws play down the front of the kosode she had worn out of the temple. Her entire bag was still with her, yet she opted for the robes as most of her other clothes were either ruined or dirty. He didn’t have long before his touches roused her.  
“We did not want to wake you, but we can also scent you have not indulged in a bath yet. Do you require assistance, priestess?”  
She frowned, but acquiesced.   
“It couldn’t hurt. There are a lot of wrappings that are hard to remove by myself.” She admitted.  
“Then come. We help you bath again.”  
Her cheeks dusted with a blush, clearly remembering the last time he assisted her washing.   
“I’ll grab my stuff.”  
He followed and once they arrived at the small faux hot spring that had been cultivated in the back. The water was still warm and steam came off its surface. Sesshoumaru undressed first, laying aside his clothing. Naked, he approached the blushing priestess and coaxed her arms out of her kosode, then helped her out of her hakama. Sitting before her forced him to appraise her injuries. Regret filled him. There were dark bruises, still on the verge of dark purple to yellow over her right hip going down her thigh, and her chest was a myriad of patterned purple. Her arms seemed unharmed, but he noted swelling at her left wrist. He knelt before her at her place on the stool.   
“Sweet priestess... We should have been more cautious.” He clucked as she flinched in pain where he touched.   
“It isn’t completely your fault. I guess it was just lucky you were there when you were...” She paused. He could see the wheels in her head turn. “If you hadn’t been there it could have been much worse. Don’t worry. I’ll be much better from here on out.”

Kagome smiled for him, despite the clear ache in her bones. His hands made careful work of the bindings that had been kept tight to keep her ribs in place and nearly snarled at the sight of her chest. Not only was she healing from the scars on her breast, but now there were enormous bruises all over her ribs. The hawk demon had not suffered enough. It filled him with rage that had to be tempered, and once it was he ghosted fingers over her wounds. Her hand came to rest atop his head, gently stroking his hair.   
“Sesshoumaru, this isn’t your fault. Don’t worry. I’ll be better before you know it.”  
He helped her rise slowly before picking her up gently to dip them both into the water. Her body tensed with every inch of warm water she was enveloped in, clearly in great pain still. The scent of tears gathering bothered him, but there was nothing he could do to stop them from falling as she swiped at each one with her good arm.  
“I’m alright,” She insisted, “It just hurts.”

It took her a good long bit before she asked for anything else, letting the warm water soak. He sat opposite to her, giving her space to breath and adjust. She reached for some of the items she had brought, including a small bar and a cloth. Sesshoumaru’s nose told him this was the perfumed scent she occasionally had as she dipped the cloth in the water and dipped down to wet her hair. She rubbed the bar on the cloth, and cried out softly when she attempted to do so again with her hair.  
“Allow us your pleasure?” He questioned, sliding though the water towards her. The tears gathered at the corner of her eyes drove him to regret again. She nodded, looking down.

“Thank you.” She whispered. He took the slick round puck in his hand and repeated her motions over handfuls of her hair, lathering it and working up to her scalp slowly. He took his time, carefully avoiding the lumps he could feel from the wounds on her head until she was relaxing again. With delicate touches he steered her back into the water to rinse. Once her washing was finished, he pulled her to his back, guiding her head to fall back against his chest as she had when she slept against him the night before. She was clearly still in pain, wincing any time her arms came up to far and her breathing was shallower than when she had been healthy.   
It clearly bothered her to allow him to see her in such a state of weakness. There was a sour note of shame in her usually luscious scent that went away as she melted into him and his gently stroking. the only things that remained healthy were her feet, calves, thighs and one arm. Gentle strokes came up her center, gently caressing her breasts and coaxing her nipples to play. Her soft moan encouraged the movements of his hands, and if not for her being steeped in the hot water, he was sure he would scent her arousal.   
Tonight he would be exceptionally gentle, and make it only about her release. It was his objective to ensure she still felt his need for her, and the pleasure and pride he felt in her battle wounds. Spreading his thighs and hers along with them, he felt her stiffen just a touch when one of his hands drifted down her center to rest atop her pubic mound, claws gently scratching the skin there. 

“Be still. We will be gentle.” He murmured in her ear, planting a tender lick on the shell of her ear. He felt her nod slightly and continued. His hand pressed her clitoris through the hood of her labia, rubbing slowly and listening for her reactions. Her breathing sped, and he didn’t stop until she was beginning to pant and groan in his lap. Just her reactions brought his cock to full mast, bumping her entrance. Knowing he would not be entering her made his blood boil in frustration, but he kept himself in check.  
The warm water swished around her cunt as his circles pressed harder and sped up a tick. He didn’t let up until Kagome’s head pressed back into his shoulder, her mouth parted and eyes squeezed shut in need.

“Don’t stop, please...” She whimpered. Her pleading emboldened him, and he dipped his long middle finger inside of her, growling as her cunt clenched around the intrusion. Her pussy was hotter than even the warm water and he groaned in jealousy, nipping at her ear. His middle finger began a sweet rhythm that was soon joined by his index finger as his other hand released her breast and began playing with her clit in time with the thrusting of his fingers.   
“Gods.... Sesshoumaru, you feel... So good...!” She uttered softly, her eyes pleading and brows knotted. Her breath was coming in delicious pants, and he bit her earlobe gently, trying to keep himself from being overwhelmed by her scent. He had himself in hand when her hand found her way around his length, her thumb gently stroking the tip as the rest of her hand squeezed over him. 

Sesshoumaru’s head went back as he released a feral growl, pausing in his thrusting for only a moment as he fought to get his bearings back.  
“Cum with me, Sesshoumaru...” She pleaded, squeezing him again as her thumb played with the crown. He wanted to. He desperately needed to. The hand he’d been using to play her clit wrapped around the hand she was squeezing him with and began guiding her hand in stroking motion in time with his finger fucking. He could feel her shift restlessly, but her wounds kept her from anything else as he released her hand and began playing with that sensitive button again. Both of them savored their time, their moans and whispers to one another bringing them closer and closer to the brink of satisfaction. He refused to succumb to her delightful hand before she had cum on his, and while she was floating on his lap in bliss, he finished himself as she watch with rapt attention. 

They stayed in the warmth of the water for a bit longer, only coming out from the water once Kagome was ready. He dried the little miko and rewrapped her wounds, dressing her only in her kosode. It was most appealing, and she seemed too tired for anything else. Once she was tucked away, he settled against the wall, and waited for morning. He could sense she wanted to talk about something, but fatigue from travel kept her from it. The moon cast its light through the door, and Sesshoumaru’s seat doused the priestess in shadow where she lay. It was a fitting metaphor, he speculated.

~*~

Kagome woke refreshed, but had no desire to move out of the warmth of the bed she was in. Snuggling down deeper, she closed her eyes, wishing she could just go back to sleep. She peeked at her roommate from over the covers and found him seated beside her, back toward the door. His eyes were closed as though he were sleeping. She doubted her really was; it didn’t seem like him to sleep. Ever. In any case, she knew they were going to have to talk about the nature of their relationship. Back at the shrine once Junko coaxed her back into meditation, once she was quiet and her mind was prepared, Junko brought her mind back to the confusing feelings that interfered. Junko had reminded her to block the feelings meant hindering the flow of inner peace. She reminded Kagome that while there were taboos, in the nature of demons and priestesses, sometimes the power canceled one another out. It was a natural yin and yang, and if power kept balance by having a darker nature as well as a lighter, then it was not unheard of for a priestess to garner an attraction to a demon. 

To reiterate her point, she introduced her to Lady Itsuka, who shared her story. It bothered her at first, but she remembered demons had longer life spans than humans. There was no reason Sesshoumaru shouldn’t seek physical comfort from others as time went on. To expect him to hold out for one love was unreasonable, especially if it was with a human. It didn’t make Itsuka any less of a priestess or leader; instead, her experience gave her better tools to train others with.   
With Lady Junko’s comfort came her bitter truth as well. 

Her involvement with Sesshoumaru had become a hindrance to her power. In order to raise her barrier, she would need to let go of her tangled attachment to the demon lord and allow herself to become a priestess, pure and unattached, while she called upon her purity. She could not allow her call on purity to be tainted by a demonic nature, or it would permanently change the nature of her power and put shackles on it. 

It took a full day for Kagome to realize what had been said, and another to put it into practice. When she pushed away Sesshoumaru’s instructions and began re-materializing her purity in traditional practice, she was able to easily stretch her power into any shape she needed it, seeing as she had a wealth of it. Go figure- it would have been much easier to stab Owashi with a spear of nothing but purifying power. The only issue that rose out of this was the time it took to keep in place, and the tools to make it look effortless. While she had the barrier down, the rest of the practices were more theoretical than realistic.   
Kagome glanced again over at Sesshoumaru, who had opened his eyes and was looking at her. She swallowed and moved to push herself up with her elbows, sitting up slowly with the occasional wince of pain.  
“Learning more about the power a priestess holds helped me with making some decisions.” She started. “I made a mistake accepting training from you.”  
He said nothing, and not a hair moved. 

“I understand now, this is one more thing I can’t compromise on. It is an honor for you to trust me with teaching Rin. Be aware, I can’t teach her to be a priestess and be involved with you. Just to clarify, you didn’t bring Rin to me to teach her priesthood, did you?”  
“No.” His baritone made her legs weak, and she wasn’t even standing. Nodding she continued.  
“I don’t know about you, Sesshoumaru, but I’m... I’m open to being physical with you more.” She found herself stammering again and tried to steel herself. “And on my side, its not something I can separate very well from my emotions. Its no secret, most of my more powerful attacks have been out of a deep desire to keep my friends safe. I can’t promise I won’t love you at all, after all of this.”

Sesshoumaru was infuriatingly quiet. She surveyed him, wishing she knew what he was thinking. The only part of her that was ready to have this chat was the one that had realized she couldn’t make him love her back; and that deep down, she was at peace with her decisions. For now.  
“It doesn’t matter...” She chuckled to herself, looking down at her hands again. “As long as I consent you can do what you want. When I feel like I’m slipping, I’ll withdraw my permission... Its the only safety net I can really think of..”   
His hand came into view, gently picking up her hurt hand and raising it. He pressed a quiet kiss to the back of her wrist.  
“So long as it is what you desire, we will respect.” Sesshoumaru’s other hand turned her head to face him, thumb swiping at the corner of her eyes. “Tears are unnecessary. Your terms are acceptable, unless there is a change in the boundaries set.”   
Kagome’s eyes fluttered and she blinked away the moisture she hadn’t realized gathered.  
“What does that mean? What kind of change?”  
Sesshoumaru had turned his body opposite hers, still sitting cross legged. His hip was beside hers, and he was now cradling her head on his moko-moko covered shoulder.  
“Pupping would change the nature of consent, as the two parties involved then turn to three.”  
Kagome was confused. What did puppies - 

_‘Oh.’_

Pupped. As in, should she become pregnant. Kagome’s head shook and she pulled her hand away to chastise him, crying out when the sudden jarring hurt her hand.  
“Now wait a minute, I’m drawing the line! No puppies - I mean babies! I’m not ready for that kind of settling and we already have two kids that need us to be there for them!” She protested. Her stomach dropped when he bit at her lower lip, licking his bite and smirking.  
“We will do our best to honor such terms, but one always runs the risk of such things when they consent to such physical pleasures.”   
The inside of her heart fluttered hopefully as the realization struck her. Sesshoumaru occasionally teased, but something like this was very serious to a demon involved in any kind of hierarchy. An heir secured a land. Sesshoumaru had a dispassion for ruling, but he still respected some of the rules that came with it. Heirs were no joking matter, even if he was mirthful in discussion.  
It was his way of telling her it didn’t matter how far they took what they were doing; Sesshoumaru was invested in her, regardless of circumstance anymore.   
He wasn’t confessing love. But he was letting her know he wanted more. And that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is sans-beta. Issues are fixed as they are found. 
> 
> ~*~  
> Special Author's Note:  
> You have our thanks for walking with us on this journey - Believe it or not (And surely you believe it with all of the issues), this is the first fanfiction we've ever completed that wasn't a one-shot. We're excited to continue providing content, and have a few ideas in works. Call it nostalgia, but we've always enjoyed meddling in original Anime; We can't think of anything more fun to do with our down-time.  
> Once again - it is our pleasure to entertain, and we are grateful for your reading.


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